Former Trump campaign adviser endorses DeSantis

Steve Cortes, who served as an adviser to former President Trump, announced on Tuesday he’s endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election. 

“Governor Ron DeSantis represents the best possible option to win the presidency in 2024 and to govern as a highly capable, patriotic populist leader,” Cortes wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday. 

“I have worked as a dedicated spokesman and advocate for Donald Trump for much of the last seven years, so I do not arrive at that conclusion flippantly,” Cortes added. “But our America First movement has always been bigger and more important than any one individual, and heading into this crucial election, our activism and our votes must be guided by a clear-eyed assessment of recent failures and potential future successes.”

Cortes, a senior adviser for Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, noted three reasons he cast his support for DeSantis.

First, he said the country was already “miserable” from the idea of a potential rematch between Trump and President Biden.

Next, he pushed that the Republican Party needs to start throwing its support behind candidates who actually win elections, claiming there is “no substitute for victory.” He provided examples while noting the party failed to achieve its goals in the past three election cycles. 

Finally, Cortes touted DeSantis’s success as Florida’s governor in the past few years, saying it “proves that a steady, unified, drama-free team achieves far better results than loud social media grandstanding.” 

“Now it’s time to take that same approach for the nation,” Cortes wrote. “In Ron DeSantis, Republicans can rally to a fresh, vibrant, and optimistic agenda, one that includes electoral victory followed by disciplined and focused policy achievements.”

Trump and DeSantis have been labeled as the leading contenders for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination. DeSantis, who indicated an official announcement on a presidential run would not come until after his state’s legislative session is over, said on Friday a decision could come “relatively soon.” 

“I also understood that we had this opportunity here to be able to really, really do a lot of great stuff, and I’ve always said that we’re gonna see this through,” DeSantis said at a news conference. “What happens in the future? We’ll get on that relatively soon. You either gotta put or shut up on that as well.”