DeSantis takes shot at fellow Florida Republican as bitter feud escalates
Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R-FL) used state Sen. Randy Fine's "underperformance" in Florida's special election to revive the war of words between the two men, according to Politico.
Fine, who serves as a Florida state senator, defeated progressive Josh Weil (D) by 14 points to become the newly-elected Representative for Florida's 6th District. DeSantis held a press conference Wednesday to say that margin wasn't good enough.
Reporter Kimberly Leonard wrote, "DeSantis argued that President Donald Trump’s involvement in the 6th District race pushed Fine over the line. He added voters had not wanted to support Fine, who Trump had endorsed, and that the president 'really had to bail him out in the end.'”
"I would not read into the underperformance that this is somehow a referendum on MAGA and Trump," DeSantis said. He continued, "These are voters who didn’t like Randy Fine, but who basically are like, ‘You know what? We’re going to take one for the team. The president needs another vote up there, and so we’re going to do it.’”
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DeSantis even referred to Fine as a "squish," political slang for someone who does not back the party whole-heartedly.
Leonard wrote that DeSantis and Fine "had a falling out in 2023, after Fine flipped his endorsement for president from the governor to Trump." To further the hard feelings, Fine eviscerated DeSantis in a Washington Times op-ed, "accusing him of not doing enough to fight antisemitism in Florida in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war."
Fine has been considered "one of the governor’s top archenemies in Tallahassee," and posted video on social media of DeSantis denigrating him after his victory.
"A dying star burns hottest before it fades into oblivion. I’m focused on working with @realDonaldTrump to stop Democrats from taking this country backwards, not working with them. Let’s go," Fine wrote.