We previously reported about the disturbing story of recent comments twice-failed candidate for president Hillary Clinton made about supporters of former president and current GOP candidate for president Donald Trump.
In a quick recap, Clinton was asked, in an interview with Christiane Amanpour of CNN, a left-wing host, about the future of so-called bipartisanship within Congress.
She responded by saying that while there were some “sane” Republicans who had demonstrated a willingness to work with Democrats, things were a far cry from how they allegedly used to be when “we had very strong partisans in both parties in the past and we had very bitter battles” but were supposedly able to work together.
She then went on to lament the “little tail” of extremism she claims exists in the modern Republican Party, and called for an “official deprogramming of [MAGA]cult members.”
She didn’t laugh as if she were joking. Amanpour laughed, however.
Watch:
Hillary Clinton calls for Trump Supporters to be reeducated: “At some point maybe there needs to be a formal deprogramming of the cult members.” pic.twitter.com/ao3foysSL4
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) October 6, 2023
The 2024 GOP Presidential candidate and Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Friday. Ron DeSantis’s response to Clinton’s remarks was questioned. DeSantis responded by saying that he “rejected wholeheartedly” what Clinton had said, noting that Trump’s supporters were “patriotic Americans who wanted to make the country prosper” and weren’t cultists.
DeSantis said that while he knew that some people would remain loyal to Trump, he also noted that others were “appreciative” of what Trump did as president but also “understood his limitations in terms of electability.” DeSantis then listed what he said was Trump’s failures to deliver on his “core promise”:
The majority of Republicans “appreciate what Trump has done, but also understand his limitations as far as electability is concerned. If he were elected, he would be a lame duck on the first day. I think he would have serious personnel problems. He didn’t fulfill his promises, either to eliminate debt, drain the swamp or have Mexico pay for the wall. He added $7.8 billion to the debt.”
Watch:
DESANTIS tears into Hillary Clinton for attacking Trump supporters as “cult members”: “These are patriotic Americans.”
Most Republicans “appreciate” what Trump did but “also understand that he’s got limitations in terms of his electability. He would be a lame duck on day one if… pic.twitter.com/LMW9M0YL3F
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) October 6, 2023
DeSantis is making a good statement, and I believe this tone and tenor is right for him. Not only because he’s aware of the need to win some of these voters but because it’s true.
I think conservatives, myself included, can get a little too focused on what the Very Online Right and their influencers are doing. They either ignore or forget that the majority of Americans do not care about online wars. Instead, they’re open to hearing from all candidates, and not just their favorite, at this stage of the election process.
I remember hearing in 2016 and 2020 people speak about “right-wing extreme” Trump Republicans. I then remembered that I had family members, friends online and offline, and co-workers who supported him, but who were nowhere near the caricatures painted of them. They wanted the best for their country and were tired of the promises that past Republican leaders made (in Congress or the White House) but didn’t keep.
DeSantis was also a big fan of those same people. While some are still sticking with Trump, others are watching what other candidates say and do including DeSantis. They are interested to see a new face representing the GOP at the White House.
The MSM will always support and encourage the Democrat war machines. It is for this reason that I cringe whenever the primary season rolls around because Republican voters as well as the candidates themselves often forget that we have more in common than we think. We’re all on the same page with most issues, but we just disagree about the best way to achieve it.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with disagreement, but the level of it that is reached in primaries, particularly when candidates, supporters, and media figures are not arguing honestly, is unhealthy. After the convention, there is a lot more bitterness and concern about the fact that the candidates will not be united around one candidate. This makes it harder to win the election.
DeSantis deserves credit for the way he handled the question. I’m not sure if some others would have handled the question the same way, but DeSantis didn’t get to where he is without being able to read the room. He knows how to read the room and that we will need everyone on board after the Republican National Convention, no matter who is chosen.
