DeSantis To Trump: Stop ‘Keyboard’ Attacks, Say It To My Face In One-On-One Debate

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized former President Donald Trump during a post-debate interview this week for continuing to attack him online while skipping the Republican Party presidential primary debates.

DeSantis made the remarks during an interview Thursday with Bill Hemmer on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”

“He owes it to the voters to defend his record, to defend the decisions he’s made,” said DeSantis, arguing that Trump needed to defend why he was running on the same promises now that he did in 2016 “that he did not actually implement.”

“For example, draining the swamp,” DeSantis said. “He didn’t fire Christopher Wray, he didn’t fire Anthony Fauci. He didn’t do anything to clean house. Now all of a sudden, he’s going to slay the administrative state when he gave Fauci an award his last day in office? What about all the spending and debt? They racked up massive amounts of debt, particularly in his last year in office, of course, you’re going to end up leading to inflation when you do that.”

“And I’d say the final thing, he’s had a lot to say about me on social media, really since 2022, right before the midterm election, he started attacking me when all Republicans were supposed to be united for a red wave,” he continued. “No, he tried to attack me, and he’s been doing it a lot. You know, it’s one thing to do it behind a keyboard. Step up on stage, and do it to my face. I’m ready for it. He used to say I was a great governor. Now all of a sudden, you’re saying the opposite? Let’s have that discussion. And I’ll do it. We could do one on one. I was with Sean last night. Let’s do that and let’s give the American people the choice that they deserve.”

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Trump has had a lot to say about me on social media. It’s one thing to do it behind a keyboard.

Step up on stage and say it to my face. pic.twitter.com/olp0SyGCaD

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) September 28, 2023

Trump announced back in August that he would not be participating in any primary debates, citing his lead in the national polls and voters’ familiarity with his record as president. Following this week’s debate, his campaign called on the Republican National Committee to cancel all its remaining presidential primary debates and throw its support fully behind Trump’s nomination.

“Tonight’s GOP debate was as boring and inconsequential as the first debate, and nothing that was said will change the dynamics of the primary contest being dominated by President Trump,” said Trump campaign manager Chris LaCivita. “The RNC should immediately put an end to any further primary debates so we can train our fire on Crooked Joe Biden and quit wasting time and money that could be going to evicting Biden from the White House.”