Why Staunch Trump Fans Are Turning To Ron DeSantis, One Supporter Says 'Donald Needs To...'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off his national book tour on Feb. 28 after his new memoir "The Courage To Be Free" was released, to the delight of his supporters –some who have turned away from former President Donald Trump.

Although the memoir received a disastrous review by at least one book critic, who said DeSantis casts “himself as a Trump-like pugilist” but comes off as a "mechanical try-hard" in the book, DeSantis fans lined the streets outside a bookstore Thursday morning to meet the governor.

Among the 250 people outside a Jacksonville Beach-based Books-A-Million store, some were former Trump supporters who have turned to DeSantis for his comparative youth and smaller ego, according to Politico.

“Donald needs to retire, and I love Donald,” Nita Spatola told the outlet. “The former president is too big for his britches. He thinks his stuff doesn’t stink,” said Steve Watts.

Later that day, while waiting for DeSantis to speak at Jacksonville’s Fraternal Office of Police lodge, Casey Jones said he was originally undecided over which of the two Republicans to support. But Jones, who appeared wooed by the governor’s stunt of flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard by wearing a “DeSantis Airlines” shirt at the event, prefers DeSantis for his “couth.”

“DeSantis isn’t going to get all muddy and in the dirt like Trump is,” Jones told Politico.

The Backdrop

Although DeSantis hasn’t yet announced his candidacy in the 2024 presidential race, the book tour is largely viewed as a lead-up to that event and a means for the governor to sell himself. That looks to be working, although DeSantis hailed his book as an instructional manual on how to fight against political, educational, and medical institutions, as well as the media.

DeSantis, who has squabbled with Trump, mostly behind closed doors in DeSantis’ case, was supported by the former president when the governor wasn’t a potential match-up in the next Republican primaries. Trump has recently turned his attention to verbally boxing at DeSantis, however, mostly from the former’s Truth Social pulpit, where Trump regularly insults the governor.

What’s Next

DeSantis’ tour will take him across the country, to Texas and California and then to Alabama, where he will speak at the GOP winter dinner on March 9. The governor will then return to Florida briefly before heading to Iowa, followed by trips to Nevada and New Hampshire, according to multiple outlets.

All the states on DeSantis’ schedule are early primary states, and the governor is widely expected to announce his bid for the presidency soon, possibly as early as this spring.

Read Next: Trump Accuses Fox News Of Promoting Ron DeSantis 'So Hard And So Much,' Calls Paul Ryan A Loser

Photo: Gage Skidmore on flickr