Steve Bannon declared Florida Governor Ron DeSantis "controlled opposition" on Saturday amid speculation he could challenge former President Donald Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
DeSantis has become a favorite of national conservatives for his embrace of staunchly conservative social policies and is now seen as Trump's top potential rival in the 2024 primary, despite not yet announcing a campaign, as some Republicans seek to move on from Trump. Meanwhile, DeSantis' popularity among some Republican voters has fractured relations with Trump in recent months.
Tensions between the two have escalated, with Trump attacking DeSantis over his potential presidential bid. Their feud has thus far shaped the 2024 primary discourse, with many high-profile conservatives staking out their stance on which Republican they plan to back.
Bannon, who previously served as an adviser to Trump, appears to be staying with the former president.
DeSantis evoked Bannon's ire this week after breaking his silence on the possibility of Trump being indicted in a New York probe into an alleged 2016 campaign payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels in relation to an alleged affair, which Trump has denied.
The Florida governor said that he has not seen the facts of the case, a response that did not go far enough for Bannon, who described his remarks as "a weasel approach."
Bannon continued his attacks against DeSantis in a series of posts to conservative social media platform Gettr on Saturday. Bannon shared a series of articles and posts attacking DeSantis, including one post in which he accuses the governor of being "controlled opposition" supported by the elite, rather than average Americans.
"Trump Dominates 'The Beer Track' ....lower incomes , lower education levels....where most votes reside ... Base MAGA see DeSantis as 'more of the same' same'....NeoLiberal/NeoCon ....Controlled Opposition...," Bannon wrote.
Furthermore, Bannon said he believes DeSantis will not connect with voters because they want "authenticity" in remarks made on the program, Real America's Voice.
"When DeSantis came out, they knew that was poll tested," he said. "That doesn't work anymore. That might have worked in the old days, but it does not work today."
Bannon Changes Tune on DeSantis
Bannon's latest comments mark a shift in tone about DeSantis from Bannon, who previously offered more complimentary remarks about the governor.
In December, Bannon praised DeSantis, a leading critic of vaccine mandates, for moving "to the right" of Trump on vaccines, writing, "DeSantis Moves to The Right of President Trump —Notably on: The Vaxx. Weeks later, Bannon noted that DeSantis received a "great reception" during an appearance at a NFL game at the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Trump vs. DeSantis: Potential 2024 Rivals Feud
Polls have shown DeSantis as being the Republican with the greatest chance of defeating Trump in the presidential primary, though Trump is still viewed as the favorite to snag the nomination. Despite once being political allies, with Trump endorsing DeSantis' 2018 gubernatorial campaign, the former president has recently ramped up attacks against the governor.
Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis on his social media platform Truth Social by touting polls that point to a likely Trump victory or calling him the nickname "Ron DeSanctimonious."
During a speech in Iowa, an early voting state, Trump accused DeSantis of supporting cuts to Social Security.
"He wanted to decimate it and voted against it three times," Trump said earlier this month. "Voted against Social Security, that's a bad one. A lot of people don't know that, but I think they've been finding out over the last four weeks—one of the reasons we're zooming in the polls, perhaps."
DeSantis also addressed the repeated attacks from Trump during a recent interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, saying the "regular attempts to provoke him"—such as giving him nicknames or taunting him with hypothetical election polls where Trump is shown ahead—are nothing but "background noise."
Newsweek reached out to Bannon and DeSantis' spokespersons for comment via email.
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
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
