TEQUESTA – A popular morning show on conservative Fox News came to town Friday to let local viewers sound off on the Trump-DeSantis rivalry and other political issues.
“Who likes Donald Trump? Who loves the governor?” Fox & Friends co-host Steve Doocy asked the dozens of people enjoying breakfast at sunrise at Tiki 52 for a loud, effusive round of applause for the two 2024 Republican presidential candidates.
The scene was festive with live music, cheering and waving cameras as Doocy talked to people from the table to the dock. Beyond the network microphones, the fierce campaign rivalry simmering between the state’s two most popular and powerful political figures, former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis, drew a decidedly mixed reaction from a crowd mostly dressed in Trump and MAGA clothing and accessories.
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Tequesta’s crowd on the Fox news show cites immigration and foreign policy as important. And also loyalty.
Donna Cocomazzi, a Republican from Palm Beach Gardens who wore a sequined dress displaying the American flag, said she is committed to voting for Trump in next year’s primary because she will “do everything I can to support to the United States”.
Cocomazzi said he thinks it’s “very sad” that the governor, who announced his own bid for the White House on Wednesday, has joined the presidential primary field.
“We elected him as governor,” Cocomazzi said. “We didn’t elect him as president, and now he’s running for president.”
Cocomazzi was not the only one to express his disappointment.
Another attendee, Randy Lundi, director of productions for Club 47, a local Trump fan club, said Trump has a proven track record as president, specifically on global and foreign policy, which he said DeSantis lacks. But Lundy said the governor’s apparent lack of loyalty also disturbed him.
“I’m disappointed about the loyalty issues. That bothers me the most,” Lundi said of DeSantis. “I like him as our governor, the best governor in the country, but I don’t think he’s ready for prime time. I don’t think he’s ready for the global international issues we face today.”
Loyalty criticism has been a constant complaint of Trump. his closest confidants and even supporters. They insist DeSantis owes his governorship to a tweet of support from Trump in 2018. In that missive, they noted, Trump called the then-Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate a “brilliant young leader,” who they say brought to DeSantis in the win, first. , in the Republican primary and then over his Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum by 32,000 votes.
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But Jupiter resident Robert Smoski said he just wants “the best man” to take office whether it’s DeSantis or Trump. Smoski said he’s not upset DeSantis entered the race since he’s been a “great governor,” especially through the pandemic.
Smoski said he agrees with Trump’s positions on immigration and foreign policy, but is uncomfortable when Trump hits other candidates with personal attacks. He thinks DeSantis is more “relaxed” than Trump, but doesn’t “conquer the stage” like Trump does.
“I’m always for a Republican, I’m always for anti-Biden. I don’t care who it is,” Smoski said of the president. “If one of them gets it, I’d be happy. But Biden, I’m not happy.”
DeSantis joins race as polls show him trailing Trump, even in Florida
DeSantis launched his presidential bid Wednesday evening via a botched Twitter Spaces conversation with billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur David Sacks. Despite giving the nation a rocky first impression, DeSantis’ campaign said it raised $8.2 million in the first 24 hours since its official presidential launch.
DeSantis’ long-awaited announcement came after a series of low poll numbers against Trump and after the former president’s campaign and supporting PACs released multiple personal attack ads against the governor. For months, Trump has spoken to conservative groups and leaders across the country about his presidential ambitions, which included numerous comments critical of the Florida governor for being “disloyal” amid speculation DeSantis intended to challenge his former ally close politician
A poll earlier this month of Florida Republican voters showed Trump leading DeSantis by 28 percentage points. Many other national and state-specific polls across the country show Trump with large leads over DeSantis.
The Fox show host said Trump is “owed” to win in 2024
Majority support for Trump was on display at Tiki 52 Friday morning, despite loud cheers for the governor when Doocy called for it.
Kerry Kensington, who said she is a member of the Republican Party locally and is part of the 47 Club, said she supported Trump. Kensington said he likes DeSantis as governor but won’t support him as president.
A North Palm Beach resident wearing MAGA gear, said Trump will beat DeSantis and Biden with her loyal MAGA support behind her. He said DeSantis lied saying he was running for governor when he was “running for president.”
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“We feel they owe him this next election,” Kensington said of Trump. “So we’re 100 percent behind him. … We love Ron DeSantis as governor, and he should have stayed as governor. He should have stayed and he should have run in 2028.”
An attendee named Bryan, who didn’t want his last name published, was the only attendee wearing a “DeSantis 2024” hat, said he initially didn’t think DeSantis would run, but is worried Trump might lose in a general elections
He said that Trump and DeSantis are very similar in their policy positions, but that the way for DeSantis to beat Trump would be to explain to voters that Trump “was good,” but that he would be better and more successful because Trump is ” such”. a polarizing figure.”
“Trump is a second-term president,” Bryan said, noting that Trump would constitutionally be unable to seek re-election if he won the presidency again. “After two years he’s a lame duck. If he loses, the House or the Senate, he’s useless. So we’ve got two years, who’s behind him? That’s my only strike against him.”
Stephany Matat is a political reporter for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY-Florida network. It comes to her a smatat@pbpost.com. Support local journalism – subscribe today.
