House Republican to DeSantis: Don’t ‘try to out-Trump Donald Trump’

Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) gave Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a bit of advice Sunday, telling him he shouldn’t “try to out-Trump Donald Trump” as DeSantis and the former president compete for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

“My advice is not to try to out-Trump Donald Trump. There is nobody that is — really, that operates in the same area as Donald Trump,” Buck said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Instead, Buck encouraged DeSantis to focus on his record.

“And I think Ron DeSantis has a strong record of accomplishment in Florida, when he was dealing with COVID and some other areas, and I think those are the things that he should be running on,” Buck said.

The lawmaker underscored that he hasn’t endorsed DeSantis and “would go to events” for other GOP presidential candidates, such as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) or South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R).

“But I do think that he — Ron — should do his very best to run on his strong record as governor,” Buck said.

DeSantis launched a much-anticipated 2024 bid recently, joining former President Trump and a growing field of other Republican contenders. Fellow candidate Haley has painted DeSantis as “like Trump, drama and all — but without any of the charm.”

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