The Florida governor was among six 2024 Republican hopefuls who said they would support Trump as the party’s candidate if he is convicted of a crime.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis looked around at fellow 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls before raising his hands to confirm he would support Donald Trump as the party’s nominee even if the former president is convicted of a crime.
During the first 2024 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday night, the eight Republican candidates on stage—not including Trump who pulled out citing his overwhelming polling lead—were asked whether they would still back the former president if he is found guilty in any of the four criminal cases he faces, with six saying they still would.
Confirmation that DeSantis would support Trump even if he entered the 2024 election as a convicted criminal comes as the Florida governor continues to fail to make any inroads in primary polls toward the former president’s huge leads. If DeSantis has any hopes of clinching the Republican presidential nomination next year, he would need to convince a significant number of MAGA supporters to switch their allegiances.
«You all signed a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee,» Fox News host and debate moderator Bret Baier asked the 2024 hopefuls. «If former President Trump is convicted in a court of law, would you still support him as your party’s choice? Please raise your hand if you would like.
