DeSantis says Republicans will lose if election is a ‘referendum’ on Jan. 6, classified documents 

GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis suggested Monday that former President Trump’s legal woes may hinder Republicans’ chances in the next presidential election, saying the party will lose the general race if it becomes a “referendum” on Jan. 6, 2021 and classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.

“If the election is a referendum on Joe Biden’s policies and the failures that we’ve seen and we are presenting a positive vision for the future, we will win the presidency and we will have a chance to turn the country around,” DeSantis said in a NBC News interview that aired Monday.

“If, on the other hand, the election is not about Jan. 20, 2025, but Jan. 6, 2021, or what document was left by the toilet at Mar-a-Lago, if it’s a referendum on that, we are going to lose,” he added.

The Florida governor also dismissed Trump’s 2020 election claims during the interview, saying “of course” Trump lost.

“Whoever puts their hand on the Bible on Jan. 20 every four years is the winner,” he said.

Trump has been indicted twice in connection with two separate federal investigations spearheaded by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is investigating the former president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

DeSantis is not the only GOP presidential candidate warning that Trump’s legal challenges are serving as a distraction in the Republican primary.

In a statement after Trump was indicted for charges relating to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, former Vice President Mike Pence said Trump’s campaign meant “less attention paid to Joe Biden’s disastrous economic policies afflicting millions across the United States and to the pattern of corruption with Hunter.”