DeSantis amplifies feud with House speaker following McCarthy’s statement of being “inferior” to Trump

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are engaged in a political dispute, with McCarthy stating that DeSantis is not on the same level as former President Donald Trump. The disagreement between the two Republicans arises as McCarthy is working to gather support for a bill that would extend government funding through October 31. Without action from Congress, the government could face a partial shutdown on October 1.

DeSantis, on the other hand, has been attempting to close the gap between himself and Trump in the polls by criticizing Trump’s handling of government spending and his stance on abortion. The tension between DeSantis and McCarthy stems from the governor’s recent conversations with conservative House Republicans who opposed McCarthy’s proposed spending deal. DeSantis spoke with Reps. Chip Roy, Thomas Massie, and Bob Good, encouraging them to continue their fight against the spending deal.

Following DeSantis’ conversations with these House Republicans, McCarthy expressed his belief that Trump would win the 2024 GOP presidential nomination and criticized DeSantis’ campaign. McCarthy highlighted Trump’s strong polling numbers compared to DeSantis and emphasized that DeSantis would not have been elected without Trump’s endorsement. DeSantis, who previously served in Congress and was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, has been attacking McCarthy’s spending bill while aligning himself with Trump.

During a press conference in Jacksonville, DeSantis referred to McCarthy as a “D.C. establishment” figure and questioned whether McCarthy would have become House Speaker without Trump’s help. He also emphasized the importance of Republican congressional wins in Florida in securing the House majority for Republicans in 2022. DeSantis’ campaign has widely shared his comments critical of federal spending and has portrayed him as different from establishment Republicans and Democrats.

Supporters of DeSantis see his clash with McCarthy as a positive development. They argue that it helps DeSantis connect with the grassroots base of the Republican Party, challenge President Trump to align with his stance on federal spending, and position himself as an outsider against the GOP establishment. Trump currently holds a significant lead over DeSantis in national and early state presidential primary polls.

The dispute between DeSantis and McCarthy highlights the divisions within the Republican Party over issues such as government spending and the influence of the establishment. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, these disagreements may continue to shape the dynamics within the party and influence the race for the GOP nomination.

Original Story at www.cbsnews.com – 2023-09-19 23:16:00