GOP presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy shared a retort on his social media profile, playfully addressing the statements made by his campaign rival, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida.
“The real danger to our movement is the rise of ‘listless-vessel’ robot politicians who blindly follow the commands of their Super PACs,” Ramaswamy remarked.
In his X update, he alluded to a prior comment by DeSantis, in which he characterized certain followers of former President Donald Trump as “unenthusiastic entities.”
Last Friday, DeSantis underscored the significance of a movement grounded in principles rather than revolving solely around an individual like Trump. He dismissed accusations of being a RINO (Republican in name only).
“Because, if you’re not rooted in principle, if all we are is listless vessels, that’s just supposed to follow,” DeSantis said in an interview with The Florida Standard, “whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, that’s not going to be a durable movement.”
The Trump campaign demanded an apology from the governor, who is also considered a possible candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination.
“The dishonest media refuses to report the facts: Donald Trump and some congressional endorsers are ‘listless vessels,’” said DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin. “Why? Because Trump and DC insiders feel he is entitled to your vote.”
Griffin further emphasized DeSantis’s belief in earning the confidence of the voters and his dedication to reversing the country’s decline.
He also pointed out that his candidate would be taking part in an upcoming debate in which Trump would be absent, choosing instead to be interviewed by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who now streams content on the X platform.
The relationship between Ramaswamy and DeSantis has recently been strained, particularly after the leak of an opposition research memo from DeSantis’s super PAC, Never Back Down.
The memo, released by Axiom Strategies, outlined aggressive campaign strategies against Ramaswamy, including the use of labels like “FakeVivek” or “Vivek the Fake,” as reported by the Washington Examiner.
“I think we have a choice between super PAC puppets who are being propped up with prepped lines and millions of dollars to go along with it,” responded Ramaswamy during an interview on Fox News.
During a Fox News appearance, DeSantis supposedly distanced himself from the leaked memo, asserting that he hadn’t come across it and bore no responsibility for its contents.
