Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) mentioned that he has a ‘respectable quantity’ of Republican colleagues in Congress which might be ‘afraid’ to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid – regardless of backing him behind closed-doors.
The highest DeSantis surrogate informed DailyMail.com that he hasn’t personally obtained any backlash for supporting DeSantis and urged others to return ahead as a result of the worst former President Donald Trump can do is ‘ship a imply tweet.’
Roy joined the viewers for Gov. DeSantis’ city corridor with Fox Information in West Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday night. He sat subsequent to Florida First Woman Casey DeSantis; her son Mason, 5; and Iowa Evangelical chief Bob Vander Plaats.
After the city corridor, Vander Plaats and Rep. Roy joined DeSantis to talk with members of the press in Iowa days earlier than the January 15 caucuses.
Roy was an early supporter of DeSantis and joins the quick checklist of present U.S. lawmakers backing the governor’s main bid for president.
Texas Rep. Chip Roy (proper) informed DailyMail.com that he has a ‘respectable numbers’ of colleagues in Congress who’re ‘afraid’ to publicly endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) regardless of privately backing him
!['Frankly, just what are you afraid of?' Roy questioned in an interview in West Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday. 'Like, 'Oh, no, I can't say something bad about Donald Trump or somebody might tweet against me''](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/20/79860147-12948531-image-a-10_1704917801892.jpg?resize=634%2C460&ssl=1)
‘Frankly, simply what are you afraid of?’ Roy questioned in an interview in West Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday. ‘Like, ‘Oh, no, I am unable to say one thing dangerous about Donald Trump or any individual would possibly tweet towards me”
The others are Reps. Bob Good (R-Va.), Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), Wealthy McCormick (R-Ga.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who additionally joined DeSantis’ marketing campaign in Iowa the week earlier than the first-in-the-nation main contest.
DeSantis will debate former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday night in Des Moines. They’re the one two candidates who certified for and agreed to debate within the pre-caucus CNN showdown.
Former President Trump has declined to take part in any of the Republican main debates, claiming his polling frontrunner standing and recognition among the many GOP ought to alone be sufficient to make him the de facto nominee.
Rep. Roy, nevertheless, claims that Trump is not debating as a result of he’s scared to face-off with DeSantis.
‘Like the first goal is meant to name the sector and decide one of the best candidate,’ Roy informed DailyMail.com. ‘Let’s do it. He’ll even present as much as debate.’
‘Why do you assume Donald Trump will not present as much as debate?’ the Texas lawmaker questioned. ‘As a result of he’ll get his butt kicked by Ron DeSantis.’
‘As a result of Ron DeSantis would level out that he completely did not safe the border; he completely failed to chop spending; he completely failed by shutting our financial system down and racking up a trillion {dollars} of debt,’ Roy listed. ‘He would destroy Donald Trump in a debate.’
Roy says that Trump’s strikes within the marketing campaign have been solely centered on his private curiosity, and echoed DeSantis’ warnings that the ex-president would make a 2024 basic election a referendum on those that went towards him.
‘It goes with out saying that nearly each single factor politically for President Trump finally ends up being about him – that is it,’ Roy mentioned. ‘I imply, it is at all times been that manner, it is at the moment that manner, it is going to at all times be that manner.’
‘I feel that is a part of the nice attraction to a powerful prudent conservative like Governor DeSantis – that it isn’t about him, it is concerning the points.’
![Roy (right) sits alongside Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis; son Mason, five; and Iowa Evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats (left) during DeSantis' Fox News town hall in West Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday night](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/10/20/79860151-12948531-image-a-9_1704917655016.jpg?resize=634%2C423&ssl=1)
Roy (proper) sits alongside Florida First Woman Casey DeSantis; son Mason, 5; and Iowa Evangelical chief Bob Vander Plaats (left) throughout DeSantis’ Fox Information city corridor in West Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday evening
Polling nonetheless has Trump in a stable first place towards the opposite Republicans operating within the 2024 election. In Iowa, he’s forward by at the very least 30 factors, with DeSantis in second.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has put her backing behind DeSantis, however Trump nonetheless has rather more endorsements from lawmakers than every other candidate.
‘There is a respectable variety of my colleagues who very very like Governor DeSantis, wish to assist him, however are frankly simply not keen to exit on that limb,’ Rep. Roy mentioned in his interview with DailyMail.com on Tuesday.
‘I am not going to actually title anyone,’ he added. ‘Everybody has their very own capability to, you understand, make their very own choices on that stuff.’
‘Frankly, simply what are you afraid of? Proper?’ Roy questioned. ‘You possibly can’t even take a imply tweet? Like, ‘Oh, no, I am unable to say one thing dangerous about Donald Trump or any individual would possibly tweet towards me.’ Look, we do not have kings. So it is loopy.’