Report: DeSantis Expresses Skepticism Regarding Trump’s Claims of Election Fraud in 2020
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election, has distanced himself from former President Donald Trump by stating that Trump’s claims of election fraud in 2020 were untrue. DeSantis made these comments during a campaign event in Iowa, acknowledging that while changes to voting procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the election outcome, conspiracy theories such as foreign hacking of voting machines were unsubstantiated.
These remarks put DeSantis at odds with Trump, who is facing criminal charges related to his false claims of election fraud. The charges accuse Trump of lying to the American people and obstructing the counting of electoral college votes on January 6, 2021, leading to the Capitol protest. Trump has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
Despite DeSantis’s criticism, Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 GOP primary race, leading DeSantis by a significant margin in the polls. DeSantis officially announced his presidential bid in May but has been losing ground to Trump since March. Meanwhile, Trump’s popularity has been increasing, despite facing separate criminal indictments in Washington, D.C., and Florida.
DeSantis stated that he did not watch coverage of Trump’s recent court appearance due to his responsibilities as the governor of Florida, including overseeing an execution.
