Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s recent comment referring to Donald Trump supporters as “listless vessels” has triggered a controversy within the GOP primary. Trump surrogates have demanded an apology from DeSantis, intensifying an ongoing feud with biotech investor Vivek Ramaswamy, who has been gaining momentum against DeSantis in recent weeks.
During an interview with The Florida Standard, an emerging outlet founded by a former Trump supporter, DeSantis stated, “A movement can’t be centered around one individual’s personality.” Alluding to the influence of social media platforms like Truth Social, he expressed his belief that a durable movement should not solely rely on blindly following whatever is posted online.
It’s worth noting that DeSantis had previously used the “listless vessel” remark to describe President Joe Biden during his May campaign launch. Trump surrogates swiftly seized upon DeSantis’s comment, drawing parallels to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “basket of deplorables” speech from the 2016 campaign. Clinton later apologized for her statement.
Reacting to DeSantis’s comment, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung likened the governor’s remark to Clinton’s, calling it his “Basket of Deplorables” moment. Jason Miller, a Trump adviser, echoed this sentiment.
MAGA, Inc. spokesperson Karoline Leavitt demanded an immediate apology from DeSantis for his “disgraceful insult” to Trump supporters, emphasizing that they are patriots, not “listless vessels.”
Trump press secretary Bryan Griffin argued that DeSantis’s comment was not directed at Trump supporters but rather at allies in Congress. Griffin claimed that the media distorted the context and explained that Trump and certain congressional endorsers were the ones being referred to as “listless vessels” due to their belief in entitlement to votes.
In the interview, DeSantis also criticized some Republican politicians for labeling anyone who doesn’t unconditionally support Trump as a “RINO” (Republican in name only). He highlighted the need for broader criteria, stating that even highly conservative individuals who don’t align with Trump entirely can unfairly be labeled as RINOs.
Without explicitly mentioning names, DeSantis mentioned congressional supporters of Trump who hold liberal records, illustrating the discrepancy between their claims and actions. He emphasized his endorsement from conservative congressmen like Chip Roy and Thomas Massie, who promote principled policies.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate and biotech investor, entered the fray by stating that the real threat to the movement is the emergence of “listless-vessel” robot politicians. He criticized these politicians for blindly following the commands of Super PACs.
Ramaswamy’s remark seemed to allude to a leaked memo posted by a firm associated with DeSantis’s super PAC, Never Back Down, before the Milwaukee debate. The memo, outlined in The New York Times, suggested that DeSantis should attack Ramaswamy aggressively, even providing derogatory epithets like “Fake Vivek” or “Vivek the Fake.”
DeSantis acknowledged the memo but claimed he hadn’t read it and dismissed its significance. Meanwhile, his new campaign manager disavowed the super PAC’s strategy, focusing on promoting DeSantis’s vision to defeat Joe Biden and revive the American Dream.
The campaign memo recognized that DeSantis expects to face attacks and false accusations from rivals and the media, indicating their preparedness to counter such challenges.
In conclusion, Governor DeSantis’s remark has ignited a heated exchange between Trump supporters, surrogates, and his opponent Vivek Ramaswamy. It remains to be seen how this controversy will impact the ongoing GOP primary.
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