DeSantis defends ‘listless vessels’ remark: These lawmakers putting ‘entertainment,’ ‘personality’ first

GOP presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Monday defended his remarks calling for Republicans to not be “listless vessels” automatically supporting former President Trump, saying he was referring to GOP members of Congress who are prioritizing “entertainment” and “personality” over policy. 

DeSantis said during an interview on Fox News that every voter he has encountered wants the party’s nominee to “stand on principle” once elected to office, adding the GOP has had a problem with candidates not following through on campaign promises.

He was responding to criticism he has received over an interview with a Florida publication in which he said the conservative movement should not just be about loyalty to Trump.

“The movement has got to be about what are you trying to achieve on behalf of the American people?” he said last week. “And that’s got to be based in principle because if you’re not rooted in principle, if all we are is listless vessels that are just supposed to follow whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, that’s not going to be a durable movement.” 

The Trump campaign seized on the “listless vessels” comment over the weekend, comparing it to a comment former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton made during the 2016 race, when she said half of Trump supporters could be categorized as a “basket of deplorables.” 

“He called all Trump supporters ‘listless vessels’ just like Crooked did in 2016 when she called us ‘Deplorables.’ How did that work out?” Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. 

DeSantis told Fox he was not referencing Trump supporters, but members of Congress who have attacked him and accused him of not being conservative enough.

“I think what you’ve had, the people in Congress that I was referring to that have attacked me and tried to say somehow that I was a RINO, they’re putting entertainment and personality over principle,” he said, making a reference to the acronym meaning “Republican in name only.” 

DeSantis touted conservative achievements he has had as governor of Florida, including the creation of universal school choice and expansion of gun rights. 

“It’s about results,” he said. 

During the interview with the Florida publication, DeSantis pointed to Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), two of the handful of House members who have endorsed him, as examples of people with “records fighting the swamp that are second to none.”