If Gov. Ron DeSantis (Fla.) really wants the Republican presidential nomination, logic dictates he is going to have to attack current front-runner Donald Trump at some point ― especially since the former president and current criminal suspect is beating him soundly.
But it doesn’t look like DeSantis is using logic as part of his preparation for the first GOP presidential debate set for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee, according to a trove of documents posted online and brought to light by The New York Times.
Trump is the top choice with 54.7% of GOP voters, while DeSantis trails behind at No. 2 with less than 15% of the vote, according to RealClearPolitics.
However, it doesn’t appear DeSantis is willing to go after Trump, and risk alienating the former president’s very vocal supporters, at next week’s debate.
Trump has cited his big lead in polls as a reason not to do the debate — and he may not want to discuss his multiple criminal indictments anyway.
But the DeSantis debate strategy — which was posted on the website of Axiom Strategies, a business owned by the chief strategist of DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down — suggests Trump doesn’t have to be worried about being attacked by the man he has called “Meatball Ron.”
According to the Times, DeSantis had a four-part debate plan:
1. Attack Joe Biden and the media 3-5 times.
2. State [DeSantis’] positive vision 2-3 times.
3. Hammer Vivek Ramaswamy in a response.
4. Defend Donald Trump in absentia in response to a Chris Christie attack.
The memo with the plan also suggested just how DeSantis could defend his No. 1 opponent from former New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s attacks.
“Trump isn’t here, so let’s just leave him alone. He’s too weak to defend himself here. We’re all running against him. I don’t think we want to join forces with someone on this stage who’s auditioning for a show on MSNBC,” the memo suggested DeSantis say during the debate.
Ron Filipkowski of Meidas Touch speculated that DeSantis is trying to avoid alienating Trump supporters in hopes of scooping them up if the former president goes to prison.
Still, the governor’s plan of defending the guy who stands in the way of his presidential aspirations struck many Twitter users as odd.
But one jokingly suggested the DeSantis campaign was actually playing 3D chess.