GOP Presidential Candidate Explains Why He Supported Democrat Over Ron DeSantis: ‘I Never Got a Phone Call Back’
Francis Suarez, the Republican mayor of Miami and 2024 presidential candidate, explained his decision to vote for progressive Democrat Andrew Gillum over Ron DeSantis for governor in 2018 by noting that DeSantis didn’t return his phone calls after Suarez initially endorsed him.
“I wanna start with your vote in the gubernatorial race, I know you voted for Andrew Gillum. He was backed by a Soros group, Bernie Sanders endorsed him, I think a lot of conservatives are going to say: Why Andrew Gillum?” asked Kayleigh McEnany on Fox News Tonight Thursday.
Suarez replied:
Well, I voted for him. I didn’t support him. I didn’t endorse him. I actually supported and gave money to Ron DeSantis in the primary at the same time when Donald Trump did, even when the governor said at the time that it wasn’t a smart move. But you know, I never got a phone call back. I never got a return call. He just didn’t build a relationship with me and he lost my city by 20 points, didn’t connect with my voters. And so I supported him in his reelection and unfortunately just wasn’t able to build a relationship with him.
“But with what was at stake, I mean Gillum would have driven Florida into the ground. I mean, not calling back? Is that a reason?” asked McEnany.
“Well I think you have to build relationships with people,” pivoted Suarez. “I’m a loyal person, and I think the fact that, for example, he was supported by Donald Trump, Donald Trump sort of got him to the finish line and now he’s turned around and not only run against the former president, but also sort of betrayed some of the people that helped him get there.”
“I think it says more about him than it does about me,” he added
“Well, you’re running against Trump too,” shot back McEnany
In 2022, Miami-Dade County voted for DeSantis over his opponent by 11 points, becoming the first Republican to prevail there since 2002.
Watch above via Fox News.
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