Longtime DeSantis Ally Flips to Trump Over Israel Issue: ‘Never Let Us Down’

Former President Donald Trump (left) addresses the crowd during a 2024 election campaign event in Columbia, S.C., on Jan. 28, 2023; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right) speaks to guests at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas on Nov. 19, 2022. (Logan Cyrus, Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A Florida state representative who has long backed Gov. Ron DeSantis flipped his support to former President Donald Trump, citing the former commander-in-chief’s record on Israel amid the conflict with Hamas.

“Today, I am endorsing [President Trump],” Republican state Rep. Randy Fine wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The past 2 weeks have made me realize our choice as Jews is simple. We can vote for the Gov who says the right things, or we can vote for the President who actually does them. When it comes to action, Trump has never let us down,” he added.

He also published an opinion article echoing that statement, but he further alleged that the Florida governor has “said almost nothing” amid what he claimed was a rise in anti-semitism in the Sunshine State since the Middle East conflict erupted earlier this month. He also claimed he was “jumped by a Nazi” in Florida “two weeks ago,” which he said was captured “on video.”

“I’m a target; I am the only Republican Jew elected to the Florida Legislature, and you will find few people in the Legislature who have championed Mr. DeSantis more. I endorsed him before he was the Republican nominee for Governor,” Mr. Fine wrote for the Washington Times. “I was his Jewish Outreach Chair. I carried his bills to take on Disney and end child mutilation in the name of fake gender ’science.'”

But he added that “words won’t save us” and “only actions will. Donald Trump didn’t just talk about moving the Embassy. He did it. Donald Trump didn’t just talk about Israeli security. He green-lit them annexing the Golan. Donald Trump didn’t just talk about peace. He signed the Abraham Accords. He deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for it.”

The lawmaker also faulted Mr. DeSantis for allegedly not taking action against college students who partook in pro-Palestinian demonstrations in recent days. Mr. DeSantis has said that if he is elected, he would cancel visas of foreign students who supported Hamas.

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The Epoch Times has contacted the DeSantis campaign for comment on Wednesday.  President Trump has not commented on Mr. Fine’s endorsement as of Wednesday morning.

Responding to Mr. Fine’s comments, the Florida governor told reporters this week that the lawmaker “was up for a presidency of [Florida Atlantic University],” adding that “he didn’t get it.” The pro-Trump missives from Mr. Fine, he added, is “pure politics.”

“Now he’s running for Senate. He’s trying to ingratiate himself. Totally ridiculous,” he said. “What other governor has rescued people from Israel?” Mr. DeSantis also asked. “I mean, like I marshalled resources. We brought back close to 700 people.”

Florida state Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) and Moms for Liberty hold a press conference in Palm Bay, Fla., on June 25, 2021. (Rep. Randy Fine/Screenshot via NTD)

Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign, told Politico that Mr. Fine’s Trump endorsement is “shameful political theater at a time when Ron DeSantis is leading the charge to support Israel.”

However, Mr. Fine denied Mr. DeSantis’ claims, saying to the Florida Sun-Sentinel “Did someone disclose that I had applied? I never have.” Elaborating, he alleged: “I have never confirmed I applied and am not now. State law requires applicants’ names to be kept confidential.”

Earlier this year when the Florida governor launched his 2024 presidential bid, Mr. Fine was among 100 Republican state lawmakers who publicly backed Mr. DeSantis. He also donated to the DeSantis campaign, according to Politico.

Since launching the campaign in May, Mr. DeSantis has failed to pick up significant momentum against his chief rival, President Trump, and polls show that he’s more than 40 percentage points behind the former president. The former president, in a recent aggregate of polls, has 59.1 percent support among Republican voters, while Mr. DeSantis has 12.6 percent.

This week, Mr. DeSantis stated that he believes he has a better chance than President Trump in the general election against President Joe Biden because he will be able to draw more voters from independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

While in New Hampshire, he argued that Mr. Kennedy “will hurt Trump way more than he will hurt any other candidates,” The Messenger reported.

“If I’m the nominee, they all go to me because I stood up against Fauci,” Mr. DeSantis said, referring to some voters who were angry with former White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci. “With Trump, though, he created Fauci. He elevated Fauci. He never fired him.”

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign later rejected his Kennedy claims: “Ron DeSantis is [an idiot] to have that type of uninformed take.”

And in a previous interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, President Trump said that he could not fire Dr. Fauci because “he’s civil service” and said he didn’t play a major role in his administration during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Instead, he said, Dr. Fauci had a more prominent role in the Biden administration.