Trump team says DeSantis' Florida 'among the worst' states to work, retire or raise a family

Trump team says DeSantis' Florida 'among the worst' states to work, retire or raise a family

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump in Fort Myers: Introducing Ron DeSantis Trump in Fort Myers: Introducing Ron DeSantis Naples Daily News

Florida is “among the worst” states to raise a family, work and retire Former President Donald Trump’s campaign claims in a blistering rebuttal to the story Gov. Ron DeSantis tells about the state thriving under his leadership.

“The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a campaign email Friday. “He has left a wake of destruction all across Florida and people are hurting because he has spent more time playing public relations games instead of actually doing the hard-work needed to improve the lives of the people he represents.”

Trump's campaign argues Florida is faring poorly on a range of issues, citing various sources such as Oxfam, Money Inc., U.S. News & World Report and the Florida Policy Institute.

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The state’s affordability crisis is highlighted in the campaign email, along with low teacher pay, a lack of elder abuse protections and low economic opportunity.

“Under Ron DeSantis, Florida has become among the worst states… to live… find economic opportunity… work… retire… raise a family… pay taxes…be safe… rent a home… have a baby… afford energy… die… be a teacher… be a doctor… be a police officer,” Trump’s campaign email states.

That message not only goes against what DeSantis has been saying about Florida as a model for the nation, but much of what Republican leaders have said over their 25-year period of political dominance in state politics.

It also echoes much of what Democrats have said in criticizing DeSantis’ policies, and those of GOP lawmakers, as they accuse the governor of ignoring the state’s growing affordability problem and other important issues in favor of culture war concerns.

And it goes against what Trump himself has said.

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In February 2020, Trump praised DeSantis as a "great governor" and "great warrior," while also taking credit for his primary election win.

"He's a very popular governor," Trump said at the time. "His (polling) numbers are in the 70s, and he's done a great job."

DeSantis is likely to base a presidential campaign around taking his Florida policies - which he calls his "Freedom Blueprint" - national. The Trump campaign is trying to undercut that approach.

Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis super PAC, released a statement criticizing the Trump campaign's comments.

"Donald Trump has so deeply disparaged the state of Florida by calling it 'the worst state,' we at Never Back Down will help him leave by offering financial assistance to help him move to his beloved California, so he can be close to his good buddy Gavin Newsom, whom he loves so intensely and gets along with so well," said Never Back Down CEO Chris Jankowski, linking to comments Trump made recently that he "got along really good" with California's governor.

Jankowski added that: "The good news is that since so many people are moving to the state of Florida, thanks to the incredible success of Governor Ron DeSantis, no one will notice when Trump leaves. The state of Florida will be better off when Trump takes his Soros-fueled, dumpster fire of a campaign to San Francisco, where it will fit right in.”

Jankowski's statement may be the most pointed effort yet by DeSantis allies to pushback on the Trump campaign's relentless criticism. DeSantis has largely ignored Trump's broadsides or offered mild rebuttals.

Trump has been sharpening his attacks on DeSantis and taking other steps to try and weaken the GOP figure viewed as his strongest opponent in a presidential primary.

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This week the former president rolled out a series of endorsements from Florida's congressional delegation and invited the lawmakers to dinner at his Mar-a-Lago Club.