Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dismissed having any knowledge of a memo leaked Aug. 17 to the New York Times in which he was purportedly urged to “hammer” upcoming rival Vivek Ramaswamy during the impending Republican debates.
The New York Times leaked advice Thursday purportedly from top advisors from a DeSantis-alined super PAC known as Never Back Down. In it, the Florida governor is urged to defend former President Donald Trump from attacks by GOP-rival Chris Christie, advised to attack Joe Biden and the media “no less than three to five times” and encouraged to take a “sledgehammer” to rising GOP star Vivek Ramaswamy. (RELATED: ‘Not Doing As Well’: Fox Panel Shocked At DeSantis Plummeting In Polls, Ramaswamy Surging)
DES MOINES, IOWA – AUGUST 12: Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis shakes hands with supporters at the conclusion of one of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ “Fair-Side Chats” at the Iowa State Fair on August 12, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. Republican and Democratic presidential hopefuls are visiting the fair, a tradition in one of the first states that will test candidates with the 2024 caucuses. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
When confronted over the memo Saturday, however, DeSantis dismissed having any knowledge of it. “The memo is not mine. I haven’t read it,” he told Fox News Digital.
DeSantis, who has been polling consistently in second place behind Trump, is aware he will most likely be a target at the upcoming GOP debates.
“I know from the military, when you’re over the target, that’s when you’re taking flak. And if you look really into the last six to nine months, I’ve been more attacked than anybody else. Biden, Harris, the media, the left, other Republican candidates,” DeSantis told Fox News.
“And there’s a reason for that, because people know that I’m the biggest threat. So we view it as positive feedback. We’ll be ready to do what we need to do to deliver our message, but we absolutely expect that, and we’ll be ready for it,” he stated.
DeSantis further indicated that his own debate strategy would include punching back at rivals in an effort to defend himself from attacks, “but more importantly showing why we are the leader to get this country turned around,” he told the outlet.