Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) speaks during the Family Leader’s Thanksgiving Family Forum, Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall/AP

DeSantis tells Iowa voters to ‘assume that it may not be Biden’ in 2024

Jack Birle November 21, 10:15 AM November 21, 10:15 AM Video Embed

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is warning voters that President Joe Biden may not be the Democratic nominee next fall and that Republicans should keep that in mind when selecting their own nominee.

DeSantis, 45, pitched himself as a “high energy” candidate in contrast with Biden, who celebrated his 81st birthday on Monday, and former President Donald Trump, 77, while speaking on Newsmax on Monday night.

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“I’ll go in there, I’m in the prime of my life. Day one, we will go, we will take on all the sacred cows, spit nails, and we’ll do it for two terms, for eight years. I’ll be able to do the people’s business. High energy, a lot of vitality, and we will deliver big results,” DeSantis said.

When pressed on whether he thinks Biden will be the Democratic nominee for president next year, DeSantis cautioned voters that he might not even be on the party’s primary ballot, and the GOP should be ready to potentially take on Vice President Kamala Harris or Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) instead.

“I think that the Democrats know, his — the age is a big issue for voters. I think they want someone else, but they also know they can’t just push him aside, he’s got to agree,” DeSantis said. “He’s the sitting president, and I don’t know how that’s going to work. I don’t know if he’s going to be willing to do it. But Republican voters, the Iowa caucusgoers, you should assume that it may not be Biden.”

“So when you’re looking at the choice about who would be the best candidate for us, put someone up that would be able to go against Biden or Harris or Newsom or any of these people and be able to get the job done,” he added.

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DeSantis is set to debate Newsom on Fox News at the end of the month, which the Florida governor has hyped up as the ultimate matchup between Republican- and Democratic-run states. Newsom has said he will not run for president in 2024, pledging his support to Biden, but recent moves have indicated that he may be running a shadow presidential campaign.

At 81 years old, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history and would be 86 when he leaves office in January 2029 if he is elected to a second term next year.

© 2023 Washington Examiner

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