Former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, issued a polite but clear warning to potential 2024 presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Speaking to Sky News Australia on Sunday, Lara said that DeSantis is “very smart” and has a bright political future, but noted that 2024 was Donald Trump’s rightful time to lead the country.
Trying to pave the way for her father-in-law to make a comeback, Lara said it would be “nicer” for DeSantis to wait until 2028.
Lara’s statement comes after recent articles highly critical of the former president appeared in the New York Post and The New York Times. Last week, the Post declared that DeSantis is “DeFuture” of the GOP.
Lara’s gentle admonition began with a compliment: “I think that Ron DeSantis is very smart,” adding that the governor recently enjoyed a landslide victory in a race heavily funded by the DNC.
The former president’s daughter-in-law then attempted to note her suggestion that DeSantis wait until 2028 to run for president was based on timing, not competence:
“Look, he’s a young guy. There will be a lot of opportunity for him in the future … to run for president,” implying that 2024 is Trump’s time to shine.
Lara added: “And I think he’s a smart enough guy to know that it would be great to have all the support of this party, of the America First, MAGA movement — whatever you want to call it — fully behind him in 2028 than possibly has, you know, fracturing it in 2024.”
In a veiled threat, Lara warned that those who challenge Trump often do so at their peril.
“I can tell you those primaries get very messy and very raw. We’ve experienced that before,” Lara Trump warned.
Indeed, in recent days, Trump has launched a number of verbal salvos at DeSantis who has chosen to take the high road and not respond.
“So wouldn’t it be nicer for [DeSantis] — and I think he knows this — to wait until 2028?” Lara concluded.
According to the New York Post, when asked about recent reports that many Republicans were not keen to see Trump return in 2024 and blamed him for underwhelming Republican midterm results, Laura “laughed off suggestions that he was losing support,” saying:
“They know that he has what it takes not only to win the White House, but to do incredible things for this country,” then said the Republican Party would “absolutely” support her father-in-law if he runs again.
“So yes, absolutely, I think the party would be behind him, and I think that they know that the American people, by and large, are behind him,” Lara said.
Lara Trump also cryptically pointed to her father-in-law’s expected announcement at an event in Mar-a-Lago scheduled for Tuesday at 9 p.m.
“I hope it’s a very historic event,” she said. “If indeed he does decide to run again and that’s the announcement we hear on Tuesday.”
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