GARDNERVILLE, Nevada — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday condemned Walt Disney World and the U.S. Justice Department — not his chief Republican rival, Donald Trump — as he courted Nevada Republicans deep in the heart of Trump country.
The U.S. “is off the rails,” the Republican governor said. “Insanity is reigning supreme.”
Speaking to Nevada Republicans for the first time as a presidential candidate, DeSantis made no direct mention of the federal indictment of Trump, who is facing dozens of felony counts for mishandling classified documents.
“We’re going to end this weaponization of government once and for all,” said DeSantis, donning an untucked short-sleeve shirt from a podium adorned with bales of hay and bull horns.
The comments come as the GOP’s crowded 2024 presidential class grapples with how to respond to Trump’s recent indictment. While some Republicans have raised serious concerns about the charges, DeSantis has largely ignored the situation, touching on it only generally by attacking the Justice Department.
Looking up at Trump in many polls, it’s unclear if DeSantis can catch Trump by avoiding one of the dominant issues in the race.
The debate was playing out as DeSantis courted more than 2,000 conservatives, many Trump loyalists among them, who gathered for an annual Basque Fry under a blazing sun at a western Nevada ranch. DeSantis’ team believes he is especially well-positioned to compete with Trump in Nevada, one of the first four states to host a presidential primary contest early next year. Beyond issues like his “war on woke,” DeSantis also hopes to benefit from a close personal connection with a top Republican leader. Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general and host of Saturday’s gathering, was a roommate of DeSantis during naval officer training and has long remained a friend. Despite serving as Trump’s Nevada chairman during the 2020 election, Laxalt already lined up behind the Florida governor by becoming the chairman of DeSantis’ national super PAC.
“I believe Gov. DeSantis is the only person in America who can win the primary and the general and be a conservative warrior for all of us,” Laxalt said as he introduced DeSantis.
Despite his optimism, it was unclear on Saturday how many Republican voters in this pivotal western state were convinced to abandon Trump. There was only a smattering of polite applause as the early speakers tried to cast DeSantis as the GOP’s best hope in 2024.
Don Fautt, a Republican voter from nearby Sparks, Nevada, said he would support DeSantis only if Trump were not on the ballot.
“Trump is the only guy who can go in and fix things,” Fautt insisted. “I get tired of his mouth, but I’ll tell you what: He’s a warrior. He’ll fight. That’s what we need.”