Staff Reports
The 2024 Republican presidential primary race has entered its peak phase. The race, which features former and potentially future President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis, has also garnered unlikely commentary from former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The DeSantis-Trump rivalry has taken an unexpected turn as the Trump campaign released a press release that featured a post of his on Truth Social claiming that Governor DeSantis wants to change his name again. The social media post questioned the pronunciation of DeSantis’ name and asked if he would find it better if Trump called him DeSanctimonious.
Is This the Weirdest Primary Campaign Issue Yet? https://t.co/9Xkp3OgOFP
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 1, 2023
This odd topic has sparked the interests of many reporters, including one from Axios, who further added to the questioning of DeSantis’ readiness for the presidential race. The post also highlighted the concerns of unnamed GOP leaders and donors who believe that the Governor may not be able to handle the scrutiny of a presidential campaign. Additionally, the Trump campaign spokesperson questioned DeSantis’ leadership ability in light of his name confusion, stating that if he can’t get his name right, how can he lead a country?
“…Therefore, he shouldn’t mind, DeSanctimonious?” pic.twitter.com/gSaF7u6OKM
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) June 1, 2023
New w/ @SophiaCai99:
DeSantis keeps pronouncing his name differently on the trail.
It’s Dee-Santis in his 2024 announcement video and an SC radio interview
It’s Deh-Santis in other interviews
His campaign declined to say how to pronounce his namehttps://t.co/XL8dTTWrdB— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 1, 2023
DeSantis' name quandary — for years an issue of confusion for his campaign teams — adds to questions by many GOP leaders and donors about whether the governor is ready for the scrutiny of a presidential race.
a campaign aide in 2018 said the candidate "prefers 'Dee-Santis.'— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 1, 2023
“Some presidential candidates struggle to nail their message. Ron DeSantis is struggling to nail his NAME.”https://t.co/f0l8fgWauA
— Liz Harrington (@realLizUSA) June 1, 2023
DeSantis asked today about Trump’s nicknames and previous attacks on the name changing https://t.co/EsRWcLPdXC
— Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) June 1, 2023
Don't let Democrats move the goalposts on this either. The specific issue here is a party that wants to ban everything but demands special privileges for their 50-something deadbeat dependent. THEY want the issue to focus singularly on drugs and carry to get heat off of Hunter.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) June 1, 2023
I hope the Trump campaign is paying you well!
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 1, 2023
Carrying water for Trump’s juvenile press release. They NEED him to be Biden’s opponent.
— Stacey (@ScotsFyre) June 1, 2023
Governor DeSantis and the Trump camp have continued to exchange blows on policy matters, particularly the handling of COVID-19. Despite facing criticism from the Trump camp, DeSantis remains focused on his campaign as he does not consider name-calling a winning issue. Instead, he believes that voters are more interested in hearing about the problems that the country is facing and how they can be solved. In contrast, he believes that Trump’s habit of name-calling is one of the reasons why he is not in the White House today.
However, the mainstream media continues to focus on petty matters, such as the pronunciation of DeSantis’ name, while ignoring the real scandals affecting President Joe Biden. Specifically, the ongoing issue with Hunter Biden and other pressing issues in Biden’s presidency have escaped their attention. Despite his achievements as a Congressman and Governor of Florida, the media is quick to look for controversies, ignoring DeSantis’ policies’ impacts on Florida’s profitability and the creation of jobs resulting in a booming economy.
In conclusion, as we approach the Iowa Republican caucus, the mainstream media is yet to put its focus on the actual policies that the two Republican contenders bring to the table. Instead, they are more interested in focusing on name-calling and unfounded controversies. Despite this habit of the media, Governor DeSantis remains confident in his policies and leadership, as he moves towards seeking the Republican nomination for President.
