Florida governor and former GOP presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis will reportedly not get a speaking slot during next week’s upcoming Republican National Convention.
The move is being seen as a snub to Trump’s political rivals, as outlets are also reporting that former US ambassador Nikki Haley has not even been invited to attend.
Primary Contest
Donald Trump handily cleared the field of candidates in this year’s Republican primary contest, but it was not without a fight.
He faced several challengers including Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and Ron DeSantis.
Anti-Trump Faction
During the primary, Republican voters who wanted an alternative to Trump looked to people like Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis who each had an appeal outside of Trump.
Desantis embodied a safer, more marketable version of Trump and had successful legislative victories under his belt in Florida which started trends across the country. Haley represented a rejection of Trump, and she positioned herself as an anti-Trump candidate who would be more moderate.
Seen as a Betrayal
Trump saw primary opponents like Haley and DeSantis challenging his presidential nomination as a betrayal. Trump used Haley as US ambassador in his past administration and he sees himself as responsible for propping up DeSantis’ national profile and securing him the position of governor.
“Sadly, everything President Trump says is true. Ron DeSantis owes his governorship to Donald Trump and challenging him in 2024 would be a treacherous act of disloyalty,” said Roger Stone, a long-time Trump adviser in 2022.
Republican National Convention
Next week in Milwaukee, the Republicans will hold their National Convention where it is expected that Trump will clinch the nomination and become the official Republican candidate for president.
There is also speculation that Trump will take the opportunity to announce his pick for vice president, which the snubs of people like DeSantis and Haley seem to indicate they have been ruled out for consideration.
DeSantis in the Area
During the RNC in Milwaukee, Governor DeSantis will also be in town but in a diminished role. He is billed to attend a Moms for Liberty panel discussion and have breakfast with a state delegation.
However, USA Today reports that a source familiar with the event planning says DeSantis will not have a spot on the stage during the entire 4-day event.
Strange Move
Some are seeing the possibility of not allowing DeSantis to speak to help unite the party at the convention as an odd move.
After Trump, the Republican party will need new leadership to continue forward in 2028, and showcasing and promoting future contenders to the voters is a primary function of conventions like this.
Why is DeSantis Snubbed?
It seems strange that given the likelihood of DeSantis being a GOP front-runner in 2028, that he would be sidelined in this way.
Some speculate that the move results from a lingering animosity Trump and DeSantis feel toward each other, as Trump has been seen embracing other former primary opponents like Vivek Ramaswamy.
Trump’s Strength
It’s also possible that the move to exclude certain GOP primary candidates from the festivities is done as a show of Trump’s strength and control over the party.
Trump doesn’t need to worry about concerns of unifying disaffected Republican voters, and both Haley and DeSantis have already said they would put their support behind Donald Trump.
Haley’s Holdout
Many of the GOP nominee hopefuls dropped out in the early days of the primary voting, but Nikki Haley stayed in for several months.
When she dropped out, she notably refused to endorse Trump, which led some to speculate that she might try to rally the party against him.
Coming Around
However, in the months that followed, Haley changed her tune and eventually put her support behind the former president to get reelected.
She even promised to release her delegates to Trump, which she had still been accumulating despite dropping out of the race.
Call for Unity
Ironically, when Haley announced the release of her delegates, she called for unity at the Republican Convention, an event to which she was reportedly not invited.
“The nominating convention is a time for Republican unity. Joe Biden is not competent to serve a second term, and Kamala Harris would be a disaster for America,” Haley said. “We need a president who will hold our enemies to account, secure our border, cut our debt, and get our economy back on track. I encourage my delegates to support Donald Trump next week in Milwaukee.”
