Trump has been taking shots at DeSantis and they have fallen flat with Republicans who are not already committed to the former president.

The DeSanctimonius nickname–lame. The COVID lockdown attacks–much lamer, given Trump’s vulnerability on this issue. The loyalty smears–that’s rich, coming from a man who hires people only to slander them after he loses faith in them. The implications that DeSantis is a pedophilic groomer? Stupid attack.  Trump hasn’t laid a glove on DeSantis. Not yet, anyway. He drops dark hints about having the goods on the governor, but we haven’t seen anything yet that convinces me that he does.

It’s Trump’s proxies who have been relentless in their attacks on the governor. Trump may not have laid a glove on him, but it’s not like he has done that much. Not like his allies who are dumping all over DeSantis on Twitter, attacking him as the worst thing of all: a Bush-Republican with globalist inclinations, and friend to the administrative state. Trump and they have the same message, but the frequency is frenetic on Twitter where the audience is. Almost nobody is on Truth Social.

Truth Social or Lying Social? 🤔🙉🙈
DeSantis is not a RINO Globalist pic.twitter.com/Yq809gCdT8

— StatesPoll,com (@StatesPoll) February 13, 2023

These attacks would actually put a dent in DeSantis if they didn’t ring so false. I mean, c’mon. Look at his record as governor. He has done more damage to the alphabet agenda than Trump ever did. And he has poked far more holes into the COVID emergency hacks than Trump, who empowered Fauci and Birx to destroy so much.

pic.twitter.com/R6hGBLJkmU

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) February 14, 2023

What’s remarkable about the attacks–actually, much is remarkable about them–is how they amplify the notion that Trump is just not very good at picking people to hire. Given that one of his main claims to fame was the show The Apprentice, which was supposed to highlight his hiring and firing practices–he seems to believe that almost everyone he has hired is an awful and incompetent person.

Ron DeSantis praised all of Trump's notable bad hires: Bolton, Wray, Pompeo, etc etc.

So–how is "Trump hired bad people" a valid argument against Trump and in favor of DeSantis exactly?

It's very evident that a DeSantis administration would be full of Bush-era neocons, even… https://t.co/aSV92wYaPl

— Red Eagle Politics (@RedEaglePatriot) February 13, 2023

This is an odd line of attack.

Laura Loomer–a Trump loyalist who hates DeSantis with a fire that burns hotter than the sun–has been on a roll attacking the governor and his wife. She tried to stir up a controversy about Casey DeSantis using her middle name instead of her first and made a slyly racist attack on Nikki Haley for using a nickname rather than the full Indian version of it.

When you decide to run for President, your immediate family is up for discussion.

Let’s stop making extra special rules for the NeoCons new lord and savior, Ron DeSantis.

People get so triggered over facts.

I don’t remember people saying Melania was off limits… weird huh?🤔 https://t.co/WnKcuqfyVV

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 14, 2023

Given Haley’s service to Trump, which was exemplary, and her sterling record as governor it seems churlish to go down this path.

BREAKING: Nimrata “Nikki” Haley just filed to run for President against Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primary.

I just got this text & I do not consent because I never signed up her list. Blocked, and reported for a violation of text opt in requirements. Marked as spam. #Trump2024 pic.twitter.com/81eomNSyT4

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 14, 2023

I’m a Nikki Haley fan, although I don’t think has a shot of becoming the candidate in 2024. I suspect she is pursuing the tried and true strategy of raising her profile for a future run. Not sure why Trump and his allies feel so threatened by that.

How does any of this help Trump? As a former president, he should be able to rise and fall on his own without having to destroy his Republican opponents. Does having a bunch of loyalists work to smear Ron and Casey DeSantis move the ball forward for Trump, or simply highlight how vulnerable he feels? Does attacking Casey DeSantis for using her middle name instead of her first actually shock Republican voters into questioning DeSantis’ undeniable accomplishments as Governor of Florida?

PS: where is Ron DeSantis storing the cash?

The Caribbean?

Please don’t Kent Stermon me for asking the important questions!

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) February 13, 2023

It comes off as unhinged, not strong. Trump’s brand has always been the Alpha Male unafraid of anyone. Yet he and his allies are clearly very afraid of DeSantis, despite the governor not having joined the fray.

The fact is that only Trump loyalists–people who would take a bullet for him–respond to these attacks. And Trump already has them in his back pocket. Other Republicans, from what I can tell, think this looks a bit loony. There are vast numbers of Republicans who think Trump was a good president who got a raw deal and attacking a popular Republican who seems to have a formula for winning is only reminding them of Trump’s less attractive qualities.

"Mr. Trump's team has been amassing data about Mr. DeSantis's actions in response to the pandemic, in part to try to depict him as a phony."

Trump trying to attack DeSantis' handling of COVID shows his campaign isn't close to being ready for primetime. https://t.co/wRg3bhpcji

— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) February 12, 2023

It’s tiring, and it’s unattractive. Trump should be reminding people of the first three years of his presidency, not relitigating the vaccine, COVID restrictions, and who should or should not kiss his ring. Attack DeSantis for allowing people to get a shot–not mandating it, but merely allowing it–is bizarre. Trump still insists the vaccine was an unmitigated success, yet DeSantis should ban it.

Weird.

I wasn't until Trump started blatantly lying about Governor DeSantis, calling him a RINO, a globalist, a groomer and for open borders that he lost me. Honesty in my leaders is very important to me and I can lend my name and brand to a dishonest message. DeSantis gives us all the… https://t.co/PerEMKnU3Z

— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) February 11, 2023

It’s way too early to know if this strategy will work, and my prognostication skills are legendarily bad. But my sense is that none of this is helping President Trump. Attacking Jeb Bush was a layup because he reminded everybody of his brother; attacking Ron DeSantis reminds everybody that DeSantis turned a purple state deep red while defeating Disney and kicking the MSM in the nuts.

Trump needs a much better strategy if he wants to win the nomination in a cakewalk. As far as I can see this won’t work.