DeSantis superfans furious former public official would make frivolous charges of grooming
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Donald Trump made DeSantisite charges against Ron DeSantis, and the Republicans who have moved on from their former hero to their new one are furious about it:
If you missed it, Trump’s latest attack featured a picture in which DeSantis is shown drinking with women who appear younger than him and are allegedly his students. One included the caption “Here is Ron DeSanctimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher.” In the other the post, the user Trump is “regeeting” says “having drinks with underage girls and cuddling with them certainly look pretty gross and ephebophiliaesque.”
You have seen this move before: Remember when Trump threatened to reveal Ted Cruz’s supposed affairs? When he accused Ben Carson of being a child molester? When he falsely claimed that Jeb liked “Mexican illegals” because his wife is one? When he alleged that Mika Brzezinski was bleeding from her face after plastic surgery? When he retweeted someone who used a #PedoBiden hashtag? Etc. Etc. Etc.
And yet an array of people who gleefully supported Trump for president—twice!—despite this decades-long pattern of behavior are now Very Concerned about his nastiness.
Byron York, the Washington Examiner’ssaddest Trump lickspittle, lamented that Trump is going “lower and lower.” Former editor for Trump fan-blog American Greatness Pedro Gonzalez is now under the impression that his one-time hero is “unserious” and acting based on his “insecurities.” (You don’t say!) Claremonster and miniature tough boi Dave Reaboi called it bottom-feeder stuff.
To be fair, Reaboi may or may not be paid to tweet for Hungary, “anti-Qatari interests”, and Ron DeSantis—so this may be work-product and not his genuine opinion. But in general, this sentiment seems to be shared everywhere on the right from National Review to the Daily Wire.
Yet the most trenchant rebuke of Trump’s antics came from DeSantis himself, who lashed out at a press conference saying “I don’t spend my time trying to smear other Republicans.”
“Other Republicans.”
And therein lies the rub.
DeSantis and his stans aren’t upset that the former president issued an exaggerated personal attack unbecoming of his status. Had Trump dredged up an old drinking photo of Eric Swalwell or Chuck Schumer or a pic of Mitt Romney with a milk mustache cavorting with younger women, and made unfounded claims targeting them with Qanon dog whistles about ephebophilia—well! That would be one thing. He might even get some retweets about how such bon mots, are, to be sure, indecorous—but can be understood as merely being the middle finger the elites deserve.
[Looks up from scrolling through Libs of Tik Tok] “I daresay I cannot comprehend dubious of charges of grooming sullying American political discourse!”
Maybe DeSantis will finally be the Republican who can finally beat Trump at is own game, but that’s still not how I would bet.