By Diana Glebova
The Trump campaign plans to unleash an “all-out assault” following Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Wednesday announcement, while Team DeSantis plans to go all 10 rounds, associates close to both of the GOP contenders told the Daily Caller.
On the same day that Trump associates told the Daily Caller that they intended to “rip” DeSantis’ “head off,” an associate friendly with DeSantis’ campaign said he planned to do the “rope-a-dope,” a boxing term in which you allow your opponent to throw so many punches, he tires himself out.
Things will certainly bust open in many ways following DeSantis‘ official entry into the GOP primary. Trump will go on a full scale attack, and DeSantis, for his part, would be able to raise money and make statements more openly.
DeSantis is likely to continue holding back and taking his shots more carefully though, associates say.
“Trump is a slugger. He likes to throw haymakers. DeSantis is more strategic. He’s more of a boxer. He’s more of a 15 round guy,” Bill Mitchell, an independent talk show host friendly with the DeSantis campaign, told the Caller.
Mitchell then compared DeSantis to boxer Muhammad Ali, who was famous for employing the “rope-a-dope” tactic in his fight against “slugger” George Foreman.
“While Donald Trump uses a shotgun, Ron DeSantis uses a scalpel,” Republican strategist John Thomas agreed. Thomas also noted that it would be a “mistake” for DeSantis to continue to be quiet once he announces, predicting he will “rebut the broadside attacks” coming from the former president.
The attacks that DeSantis does unleash will likely be focused on Trump’s approach to COVID-19 vaccines and Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Chris Nelson, a reporter who is vocal about DeSantis online and friendly with his campaign.
Meanwhile, Trump will not hold back in attacking the Florida governor on all fronts, those close to his campaign told the Caller.
“Team DeSantis better be prepared for an all-out assault on their candidate. They have no idea what’s about to happen to them,” a source close to the Trump campaign said.
While DeSantis has been hesitant to directly criticize Trump, Trump has attacked DeSantis with nicknames, policy criticisms and assaults on his character. The line of attacks from Trump’s team will continue, but will ratchet “up to 11” and will lean into his “awkward” character, a GOP consultant close to the Trump campaign told the Caller. (RELATED: Trump Will Paint DeSantis As An Establishment War Hawk, Insiders Say)
In 2016, Trump was “vicious… It was whack-a-mole. Every time a candidate started rising, Trump just turned a pair of machine guns on them and just started ripping their heads off. I suspect that’s what you’re going to see here with DeSantis,” the GOP consultant said.
“Trump’s whole thing, his whole MO, is if you hit him on something, he’s just going to take out the bazooka and hit you 10 times harder. Let’s just be honest, Trump doesn’t give a f***… He has no lines whatsoever,” the consultant added.
The Caller granted anonymity to sources familiar with Trump’s thinking to allow them to speak openly on a sensitive matter.
The fight between the two contenders has already broken out publicly with their Super PACs.
Make America Great Again (MAGA) Inc., a Super PAC affiliated with Trump, has increased how much it spends on its DeSantis ads in recent weeks to over $2 million.
DeSantis’ spokesperson Bryan Griffin hit back on the attacks Monday, arguing that Trump’s Super PAC’s record spending shows that DeSantis is “the greatest threat.”
These are the largest ongoing expenditures against a non-candidate in Republican primary history, and that’s all you need to know to draw the obvious conclusion. @RonDeSantis presents the greatest threat to Donald Trump. https://t.co/sRQT6OH6a3
— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) May 22, 2023
“We’re going to continue exposing how Ron DeSantis is unelectable,” Alex Pfeiffer, spokesman for MAGA Inc. told the Caller. Pfeiffer previously worked for the Daily Caller as a White House correspondent.
A Super PAC affiliated with DeSantis dealt some blows to the former president in a statement to the Caller, saying Trump just “talks a big game.” The DeSantis campaign itself did not respond to an inquiry from the Daily Caller.
“The Republican primary is already a two-man race, and Governor DeSantis isn’t even a candidate. As we saw at his recent visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, there is growing momentum behind the Governor because he is the only Republican who doesn’t just talk the talk, he follows through on the hard fights like taking on woke corporations. The choice couldn’t be clearer for primary voters — while Donald Trump may talk a big game, DeSantis actually fights and wins,” Never Back Down Communications Director Erin Perrine said.
“Not only do voters know DeSantis will beat Joe Biden, but they know, while Trump backs down from battles, DeSantis will always fight for our values, country, children, families, and future,” Perrine added.
