Former Trump campaign adviser Roger Stone on Saturday issued a warning to Representative Matt Gaetz about his continued support of Ron DeSantis, calling the Florida governor a "weasel."
The exchange began when Gaetz, a MAGA-aligned Republican representing Florida's 1st District, took to X, previously known as Twitter, with a response to Bruce LeVell, an ally of former President Donald Trump who shared a Politico article that was published on Friday about DeSantis' popularity plunging in Florida. The congressman took issue with the article, calling it "nonsense" and insisting that DeSantis would go on to continue building a strong legacy in the state.
"This is nonsense," Gaetz wrote. "DeSantis will return to Florida as a popular, successful governor with two years of runway to cement a legacy of accomplishment in America's third largest (and best) state."
In response to another user's comment that DeSantis would do well to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and endorse Trump, Gaetz said that he "agreed."
In response, Stone, another staunch Trump ally, hit back at Gaetz's comment, decrying him for supporting a "weasel and ingrate."
"Wrong [Matt Gaetz]," Stone wrote. "You created this monster who has proven to be a backstabbing weasel and ingrate. He's done and if you keep kissing his a**, so are you."
Newsweek reached out to Gaetz's office via email for comment.
DeSantis is currently among the packed field of candidates seeking the 2024 GOP nomination for president. Coming off a period of high-profile achievements as governor of Florida, and a successful reelection effort in last year's midterms, many at one point had put him forward as the future of the Republican Party and its best alternative to Trump in the next election.
Despite that hype, DeSantis' efforts on the campaign trail have sputtered and his support among voters has dwindled.
Prior to the official launch of his presidential campaign in the spring, FiveThirtyEight's national polling average showed the governor neck-and-neck with Trump in the race for the nomination. Since joining the race, however, Trump's support has continued to grow, surpassing 50 percent in the national average, while DeSantis' has slowly faded, with observers saying that his lack of charisma and focus on "anti-woke" talking points have soured his prospects on the national stage.
In the Politico article that started the exchange between Gaetz and Stone on Saturday, comments and sentiments from various Florida lawmakers were put forward as signs that DeSantis' stumbles on the presidential campaign trail have "emboldened" some in the state to push back against him, especially those who have been put off in the past by his more aggressive style of governance.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Thomas Kika is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in upstate New York. His focus is reporting on crime and national ... Read more
