Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did not appear concerned when he learned that former Gov. Charlie Crist, now a Democrat, planned to challenge him in 2022.
DeSantis mocked Crist, who was a Republican when he served as governor, for changing parties — and asked which party’s banner he planned to run under in the upcoming race. (RELATED: ‘A Bunch Of Horse Manure’: Gov. Ron DeSantis Says Critical Race Theory Is A ‘Harmful Ideology’)
WATCH:
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), a former Republican, running for governor:
“What party is he going to run in this time?” pic.twitter.com/rgYwGnKiZm
— The Recount (@therecount) May 4, 2021
DeSantis appeared to be wrapping up an event in a classroom when a reporter asked for his reaction to Crist’s entrance into the race.
“You know, I didn’t realize, you know — what party is he going to run in this time?” DeSantis asked. “I mean, he’s lost as a Republican, independent, Democrat.”
“But you know, I looked up, he’s voting with Nancy Pelosi one hundred percent of the time in Congress. I thought, heck, maybe he gives the Green Party a chance, he’s certainly voting that way,” DeSantis concluded.
Crist served as Florida’s governor — as a Republican — from 2007-2011 before mounting an unsuccessful independent run for Senate against Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. He then switched to the Democratic Party and lost a 2014 bid for governor against Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott.
DeSantis has not formally announced a run for reelection but has been mentioned as a possible contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, or a vice-presidential contender if former President Donald Trump chooses to run again.