The race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination is already heating up.
And Ron DeSantis is taking flak from all sides, meaning he’s right over the target.
But Ron DeSantis just signed a bill that has conservatives cheering while Trump remained unusually silent.
One thing is certain about former President Donald Trump – he doesn’t often stay quiet – especially about his political rivals.
DeSantis did one thing that silences Donald Trump
The main target of Trump’s often vitriolic attacks has been popular Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis is seen by most political experts as the only actual challenger to a third GOP Presidential nomination for Trump.
And Trump has made it his seemingly singular mission to bring DeSantis down with a barrage of attacks.
Until now that is.
Trump has gone uncharacteristically silent ever since DeSantis signed legislation in Florida that bans most abortions after six weeks.
The former President didn’t attack DeSantis for signing the bill nor did he blast him for not talking about the bill at two events, one of them at the conservative Liberty University.
This was surprising because Trump and his aides have criticized DeSantis from both sides on abortion.
But Trump seems content to remain quiet on his views of the six-week ban.
Trump’s unusual silence on the issue underscores a larger political fight going on in the GOP.
RINOs like South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace are showing their pro-abortion stripes, while GOP Primary voters are overwhelmingly Pro-Life.
And Trump actually even blamed Pro-Life activists for the GOP’s less than stellar November 2022 results.
A topic of discussion internally
A key Trump adviser says the six-week abortion ban has been a topic of internal discussion even before it passed the Florida legislature.
But top Trump aides say they are remaining silent on the issue until Trump himself issues a statement.
A Trump campaign spokesman said, “He will address it if he is asked about it.”
Even though many Pro-Life Republicans and activists have Trump to thank for the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Trump has for the most part avoided the topic of abortion since he launched his 2024 campaign.
But the issue is bound to come up sooner rather than later.
Trump is scheduled to call in to Iowa’s annual Faith & Freedom Coalition spring event.
And according to Steve Sheffler, the group’s President, Trump has agreed to take questions.
Sheffler, it should be noted, is also Iowa’s Republican National Committeeman.
Expect Trump to be asked both about his position on the six-week ban, and on his comments blaming the Pro-Life movement for GOP losses, even though all evidence indicates the opposite.
Blasting Trump for his silence
It’s rare anyone attacks Trump for remaining quiet.
But that is exactly what a pro-DeSantis super PAC is doing.
Erin Perrine, spokeswoman for the Never Back Down super PAC told NBC News in a statement, “Governor DeSantis has an incredible record of success in protecting the unborn and children with heartbeats from the brutality of abortion. Donald Trump’s latest contribution to the pro-life movement has been blaming pro-life voters for 2022 midterm losses instead of his endorsements burying candidates that should have won.”
Trump’s team, however, seems perfectly content to just address the abortion issue in terms of what he did as President through his Supreme Court appointments.
Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman said, “The thing we’ve been pointing to is he has a pretty flawless record when it comes to Pro-Life and protecting life, not the least of which is the appointment of Supreme Court Justices before Roe v. Wade was overturned. In terms of the six weeks, I don’t want to get ahead of what he’ll say about that or what he’ll propose. I think he’ll lay out a pretty clear agenda for that.”
The Florida law signed by DeSantis bans most abortions at six weeks but creates exemptions for rape and incest up to 15 weeks into pregnancy.
While Pro-Life activists are moving toward DeSantis, Trump remains silent.
“This has never been Trump’s favorite issue,” GOP strategist Brad Todd said.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
