DeSantis, Without Naming Trump, Slams ‘Underwhelming’ Midterms for GOP - The New York Times

Politics|DeSantis, without naming Trump, slams ‘hugely underwhelming’ midterms for the G.O.P.

• Nov. 15, 2022Updated 9:10 p.m. ET

Follow our unrecorded sum of Trump’s announcement astatine Mar-a-Lago tonight.

MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida gave a blunt appraisal connected Tuesday of Republicans’ shortcomings successful the midterm elections, getting successful a not-so-subtle excavation astatine erstwhile President Donald J. Trump not agelong earlier Mr. Trump is expected to denote a 3rd White House bid.

“There were a lot, a batch of disappointments,” Mr. DeSantis told reporters astatine an lawsuit successful Fort Walton Beach erstwhile asked astir Mr. Trump’s planned announcement connected Tuesday night. “That’s conscionable the reality. It was a hugely underwhelming, disappointing performance, particularly fixed that Biden’s policies are overwhelmingly unpopular.”

The politician made nary notation of the erstwhile president. But helium appeared to relish contrasting the mediocre showing past week by galore of Mr. Trump’s endorsed candidates with his ain landslide re-election victory and successes by different Republicans successful Georgia, Ohio and Texas.

“Some of the others,” helium said, without naming names oregon tying them to Mr. Trump, had not fared well. “These autarkic voters aren’t voting for our candidates, adjacent with Biden successful the White House and the failures that we’re seeing. That’s a problem.”

Shortly earlier Mr. Trump’s announcement astatine his Mar-a-Lago edifice connected Tuesday night, Mr. DeSantis, possibly the astir salient aboriginal 2024 contender not named Trump, is scheduled to present a backstage keynote meal code to Republican governors and donors gathered for the Republican Governors Association league successful Orlando.

Pressed to remark astir the erstwhile president’s intentions, Mr. DeSantis alternatively boasted astir his accomplishments.

“At the extremity of the day, I would conscionable archer radical to spell cheque retired the scoreboard from past Tuesday night,” helium said to applause.

His 19-percentage-point winning borderline eclipsed that of immoderate of his Republican predecessors. Florida voters elected much Republican lawmakers to the State Legislature than ever before, giving him supermajorities with which to notch aboriginal argumentation victories.

The authorities besides elected 20 Republicans to Congress, up from 16, aft Mr. DeSantis pushed to gerrymander boundaries and redraw districts held by Black lawmakers. Most candidates helium supported for section schoolhouse boards, which are technically nonpartisan, besides won.

“We were connected offense,” helium said, “and we didn’t shy distant from large issues.”

That appealed not lone to Republican voters and independents, helium added, but besides to Democrats, Hispanic voters and women — demographic groups that bash not typically formed ballots for Republicans. “You don’t triumph by a cardinal and a fractional votes if you lone get your ain party,” helium said.

He won Miami-Dade County and, helium emphasized, Palm Beach County.

“We won Palm Beach County, which has not been won by a Republican for politician by astir 40 years,” helium said.

Unsaid: that Mr. Trump lives there.

Mr. DeSantis concluded by floating the anticipation of respective peculiar legislative sessions to prosecute the benignant of blimpish policies that have fixed him a large nationalist profile.

“I deliberation we’re going to person a precise robust agenda,” helium said, “and I deliberation radical volition beryllium precise pleased with the further points we’ll beryllium capable to enactment up connected the board.”