Former White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned Democrats and Republicans alike not to underestimate former President Donald Trump since his “evil charisma” may win him the Republican Party’s nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
“I think Democrats and sane Republicans underestimate Trump at their own peril because in order for Trump not to win the nomination, there has to be a better alternative,” Psaki said in an interview with NBC‘s Meet the Press on Sunday.
The former Biden press secretary added: “[Florida Governor] Ron DeSantis, this man is either the savior or he’s currently at his peak. Mike Pence, with all due respect, didn’t exactly light the world on fire politically before he was selected by Donald Trump to be his running mate. So, the question is who is the alternative? Trump has some evil charisma that helps him win the nomination.”
WATCH: Former Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki says “Trump has some evil charisma” that could help him win the Republican nomination in 2024.@jrpsaki: “Democrats and sane Republicans underestimate Trump at their own peril.” pic.twitter.com/DXdettXzLQ
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 4, 2022
Trump announced his 2024 presidential run at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, last month, telling the audience that he’s launching his third presidential campaign to take on “the most corrupt forces and entrenched interests imaginable.”
However, some prominent Republicans have abandoned Trump after his announcement including Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Senator Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan.
Republicans and independents seem to be embracing DeSantis after his landslide midterm victory this year over his Democratic opponent, Charlie Crist. DeSantis won his reelection by nearly 20 points and even won Miami-Dade County, historically a Democratic-stronghold in the state.
In the latest Economist/YouGov poll, DeSantis trails Trump as the preferred 2024 nominee. However, earlier in November, the Florida governor surged ahead of the former president in multiple polls conducted by YouGov.
Rumblings of Pence also running for president have circulated. Pence, who was Trump’s vice president, is currently on a book tour for his book, So Help Me God, and has been asked numerous times about his 2024 intentions.
At a recent CNN Town Hall hosted by Jake Tapper, the former vice president was asked directly when Americans can expect that announcement. Pence said, “I’ll keep you posted.”
When asked about Trump’s announcement, Pence said he believed that there would be “better choices” on the ballot in the next two years.
“I think we’ll have better choices…than my old running mate,” Pence said. “I think America longs to go back to the policies that were working for the American people, but I think it’s time for new leadership in this country that will bring us together around our highest ideals.”
The former vice president also said he believes it is best that he and Trump go their separate ways after Trump supporters, who chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” stormed the U.S. Capitol building on January 6, 2021, to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Pence said that he and the former president “spoke from time to time” after they both left the White House last year, but added that “after the president returned to the rhetoric that he was using before that tragic day in January, criticizing me and others who are taking the stand for the Constitution of the United States, I just determined it was best to go our separate ways.”
Meanwhile, political analyst Craig Agranoff told Newsweek on Sunday, “Trump will likely continue to gain traction, but he should be concerned about DeSantis who is extremely well liked and can sway votes away from him. Pence is trying to gain momentum, but he is unlikely to be able to compete against the two.”
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