Eight Republicans appeared on stage last week at the first GOP Presidential Primary debate.
Fresh off a reboot, Ron DeSantis needed a strong performance to jumpstart his campaign.
And Ron DeSantis was all smiles when he read what this former Trump appointee wrote about his debate performance.
Fox News Channel hosted the first Republican Presidential Primary debate of the 2024 election last Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Network hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum served as moderators for the eight Republican candidates at the debate.
Of course, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump was noticeably absent from the debate stage.
Trump made a decision to skip the debate due to his massive lead over the rest of the field and his opposition to signing the GOP loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson released an interview with Donald Trump on the social media platform X a few minutes before the debate started.
Donald Trump’s absence meant Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would be the highest-polling candidate on stage in Milwaukee.
DeSantis needed to turn in a strong performance after his recent campaign reboot that saw a few dozen staff members fired and a new Campaign Manager brought in to try and right the ship.
The debate went well for Ron DeSantis, as his campaign raised over $1 million after his performance at the debate.
DeSantis also won over the backing of a former member of Donald Trump’s administration.
Jim Bridenstine is a former Congressman who Donald Trump appointed as the 13th administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
But in an op-ed published Monday in the Washington Times, Bridenstine said “Ron DeSantis set himself apart on the debate stage as a confident, consistent, and proven leader who is ready to be president of the United States and reverse our nation’s decline.”
“As a former Trump-appointee, I have great respect for what the former president was able to accomplish,” Bridenstine wrote. “But the reality is: He didn’t bother to show up for the debate,” he continued, before adding that “our party deserves a candidate who will show up and put in the work.”
Bridenstine then laid out three points that stood out to him about DeSantis’ performance at the debate.
He first noted that DeSantis was the only veteran on stage.
“First, as the only veteran on stage, Ron showed he is uniquely prepared to be Commander-in-Chief on Day One,” he wrote.
Next, he said “Ron showed his focus and discipline.”
And finally, he said he knows Ron DeSantis personally from when they served in Congress together and knows he would “break the Swamp as President.”
In closing, Bridenstine wrapped up his thoughts on the debate by noting that “Ron DeSantis showed the nation last week that he is the only proven leader for our nation’s revival.”
The pressure was on DeSantis last Wednesday.
And the Florida Governor stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
