‘Of course’ Trump lost the 2020 election, DeSantis says after years of hedging

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“After years of avoiding a clear stance, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis finally asserted that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. In an interview with NBC News, DeSantis unequivocally stated, ‘Of course he lost, Joe Biden’s the president.’

Previously, DeSantis had evaded questions about the legitimacy of the election results. However, he has recently started challenging the baseless claims made by Trump and his allies regarding the election. Even federal and state election officials, as well as Trump’s own attorney general, confirmed that there was no credible evidence of election fraud. The courts, including judges appointed by Trump, also rejected his allegations.

DeSantis’ change in rhetoric comes as he aims to revive his stagnant 2024 White House campaign. Nevertheless, Trump’s popularity with the Republican Party base has put him in a leading position for the next GOP presidential primary.

Though DeSantis initially provided a vague answer when asked about Trump’s loss, he eventually clarified his position. The governor continued to criticize certain voting methods from the 2020 election, such as mail voting and ‘ballot harvesting,’ but indicated that his campaign would embrace these methods despite previous criticism.

While DeSantis has positioned himself as a successor to Trump’s politics, he has at times criticized the former president’s actions, particularly Trump’s response to the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, which DeSantis deemed a ‘protest’ that ‘ended up devolving… in a way that was unfortunate.’

DeSantis believes that focusing on the past election and Trump’s legal issues will lead to Republican losses in 2024. Instead, he advocates for a campaign that centers on critiquing Joe Biden’s policies and presenting a positive vision for the future.”

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• “Ron DeSantis says Trump lost 2020 election, after years of hedging” (NBC News): Link
• “Justice Department charges Trump with four felonies related to 2020 election” (CNN): Link
• “Ron DeSantis’ shift in rhetoric comes as he seeks to reset 2024 White House campaign” (Politico): Link
• “Academic research on mail voting and turnout” (Brookings Institution): Link
• “Analysis of voting methods and their impact on elections” (FairVote): Link