In a recent conversation with MSNBC, Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida and a potential candidate for the 2024 Republican primary, proposed that if Donald Trump is found guilty in any of the ongoing legal proceedings he is embroiled in, he should be disqualified from the primary ballot.
MSNBC host Willie Geist queried, "Do you really believe that a man who's convicted of say, attempting to overturn the 2020 election or taking nuclear secrets back to his beach club, do you actually still, as we sit here today, believe that person should be president?"
DeSantis responded, "So I signed a pledge, Willie, and that pledge is what it is." He was referring to the commitment that the Republican National Committee required all GOP candidates to sign if they wished to participate in the debates.
He further elaborated, "Now, do I think somebody under those circumstances could get elected president? The answer is no. That will not happen." He suggested that such a situation would be "fatal in a general election."
"I don't think the party should nominate in that situation. However, you know, I signed the pledge. I'm a Republican. I don't think it's going to come to that, and I think we'll be we'll get the job done like we need to, but the reality is, is I signed it and that's what I did."
Prior to the inaugural GOP debate in August, DeSantis had signed the Republican National Committees loyalty pledge. This pledge, which was a prerequisite for the first debate, required that all nominees support the party's eventual presidential nominee. Trump, however, declined to sign the pledge and has not participated in any debates.
During the debate, DeSantis and other nominees were questioned about their commitment to the pledge, specifically if they would continue to support Trump if he were convicted in any of the numerous cases against him.
Most candidates affirmed their support, although DeSantis only did so after observing the responses of others. Vivek Ramaswamy, another candidate, was quick to express his support and has consistently advocated for Trump as the legal battles against him continue. These include two federal cases in DC and Florida, and two state cases in Georgia and New York.
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