DeSantis 2024 Is Getting Congressional Endorsements—Even If He Isn’t Officially Running

Rep. Chip Roy (R) will be endorsing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, despite the governor having yet to publicly declare he’s actually running.

Texas’ Roy, a former Assistant Attorney General and former Chief of Staff to Sen. Ted Cruz, released a lengthy statement via email on Wednesday regarding the endorsement. “Governor DeSantis makes clear he would lead our nation as commander in chief with the kind of resolve and sober strength that produces peace through strength,” Roy wrote, lauding the governor’s military background, anti-”woke” legislation and successful electoral performance.

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“I believe it’s time for a new generation of leadership. It’s time for younger, but proven, leadership to offer America eight solid years of transformational change,” the congressman said.

Roy’s endorsement appears to be the first public congressional endorsement for DeSantis, who despite the hype continues to dodge questions about his potential candidacy. But while DeSantis claims that he hasn’t yet made a decision, the Florida Governor is now regularly leaving the state to make appearances at traditional testing grounds for candidates. Earlier this week, DeSantis made several stump appearances in Iowa ahead of a major speech in the state by his potential rival: Donald Trump.

The former president has already honed in on DeSantis as the biggest threat to his own campaign. Trump leveled harsh criticism at Fox News for what he deemed to be too-positive and overly frequent coverage of DeSantis in recent weeks. The former president has also fallen back on his well-worn tactics of name-calling and backroom gossip in an attempt to wear down DeSantis’ public image before he even enters the race. In addition, a pro-Trump political action committee has filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics alleging that DeSantis is running an unlawful “shadow campaign” for the presidency.

Roy himself was once a fervent supporter of the former president. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, Roy initially supported Trump’s efforts to find evidence of voter fraud that could overturn the election but balked at the violence carried out against lawmakers on Jan. 6.

In the aftermath of the 2020 midterms, where Republicans were quick to blame the former president for the GOP’s less-than-stellar performance, Roy is likely not alone in feeling that it’s time to move away from Trumpism. DeSantis may not have submitted the paperwork declaring his candidacy, but it’s clear the 2024 election is already becoming a tug-of-war for control of the GOP’s future.

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