Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political team is rejecting a new ad from a super PAC backing former President Trump’s 2024 campaign, insisting on the ad’s claim that DeSantis “supported a national tax on sales” and a “23% tax increase” during his campaign. The congressional mandate is “dishonest” because it leaves out key details.
Released Friday by MAGA Inc., the leading super PAC aligned with Trump’s bid for the 2024 White House race, the ad targeted DeSantis for his support of tax hikes and a national sales tax during his time representing the 6th Congress of the Sun State. District in the House from 2013 to 2018.
“In Congress, Ron DeSantis supported a national sales tax, a 23 percent tax hike on almost everything you buy … from the gas station to the grocery store,” the narrator told Congress . ad titled “Old DeSantis”.
Although DeSantis supported a bill proposing a 23 percent federal sales tax, key details were omitted from the announcement. Under the bill’s proposed federal sales tax, all other federal taxes, including income tax, would have been eliminated if the bill had passed.
FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS EXPECTED TO LAUNCH 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN NEXT WEEK
Released Friday by MAGA Inc., the leading super PAC aligned with Trump’s bid for the 2024 White House race, an ad targeted Ron DeSantis (R) for his support of tax hikes and a tax national sales force during his time in Congress. . (Scott Olson, Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Known as the Fair Tax Act, or HR25, a version of the bill has been introduced in Congress several times since 1999. DeSantis co-sponsored the bill in 2013, 2015 and 2017.
“In Congress, the governor supported the concept of a fair tax, a plan to reduce an individual’s overall tax burden by replacing all federal taxes, including income tax, with a lower tax,” Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis’ political team. , he said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. “The plan also sought to take down the IRS, which, at the time, was being weaponized by the Obama administration. To describe only part of the plan in one attack is dishonest.
“In Florida, Governor DeSantis cut taxes to help families struggling under Biden’s inflation. In 2022, he signed the largest tax relief package in Florida history (over $1.2 billion for families of Florida).And, this year, he topped that by securing a record $2.7 billion in tax relief, including a permanent sales tax exemption for baby items, the return to the ‘school and the Fourth of July tax holiday, and $500 million in toll relief,” Griffin added.
“By the way, Florida’s favorable tax climate has encouraged a record number of people to move to the Sunshine State, including former President Donald Trump.”
“In Congress, Ron DeSantis supported a national sales tax, a 23 percent tax hike on almost everything you buy…from the gas station to the grocery store,” the narrator told the ‘ad titled “Old DeSantis”. (Screenshot, MAGA Inc.)
DeSantis faced a similar attack for his support of the bill by Adam Putnam, who served as Florida’s 11th agriculture commissioner, during the 2018 Florida primary election. Clearing the record on the announcement of Putnam from 2018, PolitiFact noted that “the idea behind the Fair Tax Act is to introduce a 23% federal sales tax that would replace other federal taxes.”
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“The bill eliminates income, estate, payroll and gift taxes, as well as the Internal Revenue Service itself,” self-described “nonpartisan fact-checking website.” he wrote at the time.
Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis super PAC, targeted Trump earlier this month for trying to “steal pages from the establishment playbook to attack Ron DeSantis from the left” and included several recorded instances of Trump “repeatedly” offering support for the Fair Tax during his run for president.
In a 2019 tweet, Trump announced that he and his family would make Palm Beach, Florida their permanent residence because of the treatment he received from city and state leaders in New York.
“1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I’ve come to love and hopefully stay for another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT again, but my family and I will make Palm Beach, Florida our home permanent.” Trump wrote.
“I love New York and the people of New York, and I always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes every year, I have been treated very poorly by political leaders both in the city and the state. Few have been treated worse.
“I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be for the best for all concerned.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, right, join President Trump during a rally at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Fla., in 2019. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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DeSantis, who has served as Florida’s governor since January 2019, is expected to officially enter the 2024 race for the White House next week.
The popular two-term conservative governor will file formal paperwork with the Federal Election Commission next week to declare his candidacy for president, sources familiar with the governor’s decision confirmed to Fox News. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
DeSantis’ presentation will coincide with his meeting next week in Miami, Florida, with major financial backers, a source told Fox Digital. By law, DeSantis cannot receive or solicit contributions to a presidential campaign unless he has formally declared his candidacy.
Paul Steinhauser of Fox News contributed to this article.
