President Donald Trump is greeted by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at Southwest Florida International Airport on Oct. 16, 2020. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron Desantis has received the endorsement of Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination prior to even joining the race.
In a press release by “Never Back Down,” the super PAC backing DeSantis and calling on him to enter the race, Massie endorsed his former House colleague and governor and encouraged him to enter the race.
Massie becomes the second member of the House GOP to preemptively endorse DeSantis, after Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) endorsed the governor last month. Roy cited the governor’s “faith in God” along with his dedication to family and his rejection of “woke” ideals as reasons to support him.
The endorsement of the former president’s potential chief rival comes one day after candidate Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of felony falsification of business records to the first degree after volunteering himself in a Manhattan courtroom.
Massie wrote on Twitter after news first broke of the potential indictment and called the charges “completely bogus.”
The latest Real Clear Politics aggregate of polls on the Republican 2024 primary has DeSantis still in second place to Trump by a large margin but well ahead of Trump’s other challengers.
Massie’s Endorsement
A staunch conservative, Massie encouraged DeSantis to enter the race for president of the United States in his statement.
“America needs a leader who is decisive, respects the Constitution, understands policy, puts family first, and leads by inspiring,” Rep. Massie wrote in the statement. “That’s why I’m endorsing Ron DeSantis for President.”
Massie pointed to working with DeSantis in the House for six years together as another reason for his endorsement.
“I’ve been honored to call Ron DeSantis a friend for over a decade,” Massie said. “During the six years we served together in Congress, I witnessed Ron fight for economic freedom, personal liberty, fiscal responsibility, and constitutionally limited government,”
Massie said that both in Congress and as governor, Ron “has always surrounded himself with capable people who share his principles.”
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) speaks at a House Second Amendment Caucus press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 8, 2022. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
“Ron knows that putting America first means putting Americans first, not corporations, and he’s never backed down from a fight with the big guys in pharma, agriculture, and tech,” Massie added. “If we make the right choices, America’s best days are in front of us. Let’s pick a proven energetic leader who can get us there. Let’s choose Ron Desantis for President.”
Massie’s History with Trump
Massie has, over the years, gone from a supporter of former President Trump to becoming the focus of ire from the former president in the last years of his presidency.
In 2020, Trump labeled the Kentucky congressman a “third rate Grandstander” for trying to stall a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 aid package.
At the time, Trump called Massie “a disaster for America, and for the Great State of Kentucky!” and urged GOP leaders to “throw Massie out of the Republican Party.”
Just two years later, Trump in a statement referred to the congressman as a “Conservative Warrior” and a “first-rate Defender of the Constitution.”
‘Never Back Down’
The “Never Back Down” super PAC was founded by former Trump ally and administration official Ken Cuccinelli. Cuccinelli says on the PAC’s website that he believes DeSantis is the “FUTURE” and that he will “NEVER BACK DOWN.”
Cuccinelli is the former Virginia attorney general and the state’s 2013 GOP gubernatorial nominee who later served as acting deputy homeland security director during the last two years of the Trump administration.
The group told Fox News earlier this week it had raised $30 million in fundraising since its launch on March 9.
“Never Back Down has seen a massive surge in support for the movement to make Gov. DeSantis become President DeSantis,” Erin Perrine, the super PAC’s communications director, wrote on Twitter.
Perrine was the communications director for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign prior to joining the DeSantis PAC.
Governor’s Potential Bid
DeSantis has said he will make a decision on a presidential run after Florida’s legislative session ends in May. In the meantime, however, he has embarked on a nationwide book tour that has taken him to key primary battleground states such as Iowa.
DeSantis said in an interview last month that he believes he would beat President Biden in 2024 but stopped short of announcing that he will run against the former President.
Chase Smith
Author
Chase is an award-winning journalist. He covers national news for The Epoch Times and is based out of Tennessee. For news tips, send Chase an email at [email protected] or connect with him on X.
