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Roger Stone wants Gov. Ron DeSantis to pledge not to run for president if he seeks reelection.
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Stone said if DeSantis doesn’t commit, he’ll run for Florida governor just to siphon votes away.
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DeSantis said he is running for reelection in 2022 and has dismissed talk of a 2024 White House run.
Roger Stone, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, said he will run for governor of Florida just to siphon votes away from Gov. Ron DeSantis – unless DeSantis commits to not running for president in 2024.
“I believe that Gov. DeSantis, assuming he’s going to run for re-election, should pledge to the people of Florida that he will fill out all four years of a second term,” Stone told CBS Miami on Friday. “What I don’t want to see is for him to be reelected and then immediately abandon Florida to run off and run for president, particularly if he’s running against Donald Trump.”
DeSantis was elected governor in 2018 and is up for reelection in 2022. He has said he is running for reelection, but the Republican star has also been floated as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, especially if Trump isn’t in the running.
In September DeSantis said any “speculation” that he plans to run for president in 2024 is “purely manufactured.”
Trump has not officially announced a 2024 run, but has repeatedly teased the prospect, telling supporters they’re going to be “very happy” with his decision.
Stone told CBS’ Jim DeFede he thinks DeSantis, if reelected, should remain governor and not run for president even if Trump decides not to run.
“I just don’t think Florida should be a stepping stone to the president for any person,” he said.
Stone said if he runs against DeSantis it would not be because he thinks he can actually win the race, but because he could run as a Libertarian and draw votes from DeSantis.
“The people who love Ron DeSantis the most are of course the people who have never met him,” he said. “I don’t think that I would have to get many votes to change the results of this race.”
Stone also targeted DeSantis earlier this week, threatening to run against him if the governor didn’t audit the 2020 election in Florida, a state Trump won.
“If Gov. Ron DeSantis does not order a full audit of the Florida 2020 vote, I may be forced to seek the Libertarian Party nomination for governor in 2022. And Ron can kiss his arrogant Yalie ass goodbye #DefendFlorida,” Stone wrote on his Telegram channel Sunday.
Stone was convicted of seven felony counts in 2019, including making false statements to the FBI, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. Trump commuted his sentence in 2020.
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