Although former President Donald Trump denies he views Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a rival, he was quick to tout his camp’s political victory over DeSantis’ allies.
On Saturday (February 18), in a piece titled “Florida win for Trump,” Politico detailed how the Sunshine State’s Republican Party voted Christian Zeigler as its chair.
Zeigler is a consultant that has ties to Trump’s advisors.
Zeigler, Florida GOP’s former vice chairman, beat Evan Power, the leader of the GOP in Leon County, 126 to 100.
Politico explained that some of DeSantis’ political supporters fear Zeigler’s win could point to trouble for DeSantis’ 2024 bid — which he is yet to announce.
DeSantis is speculated to join Trump, who announced his 2024 Presidential bid on November 15, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and several other GOP contenders in the ring as they battle for the party’s nomination.
Pundits claim DeSantis could be Trump’s greatest threat in the 2024 election, something the former President has acknowledged through his actions while vehemently denying it in his words.
Over the weekend, Trump made another inadvertent admission his in competition with DeSantis when he posted that his allies “won a big Chairmanship in Florida over the DeSantis Reps,” adding that Zeigler’s win is “a win for ALL,” as Christian “will be a great Chairman!”
Although some, including Trump, are touting Zeigler’s win as a proxy victory for the former President over the Florida Governor, Zeigler’s connections to Trump aren’t as clear-cut.
Given his work with Trump’s former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, Zeigler is distantly affiliated with Trump.
Yet, records show that as far back as 2018, Zeigler has voiced his support for DeSantis. Furthermore, Ziegler’s wife was endorsed by the Florida Governor when she sought a position on the school board of Sarasota County.
