Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump administration official, is urging Republicans with “governing experience” to challenge the 45th president for the party’s nomination if he decides to run again.
In a tweet on Monday morning, Griffin wrote, “DeSantis should run. So should Pence, Pompeo, Haley, Cotton, Tim Scott, Sununu, Hogan, etc. Credible Republicans with governing experience should challenge Trump.”
“There’s zero reason to nominate Trump again when [Republicans] have a bench & Biden is polling in the 30s,” she added.
DeSantis should run. So should Pence, Pompeo, Haley, Cotton, Tim Scott, Sununu, Hogan, etc. Credible Republicans with governing experience should challenge Trump. There’s zero reason to nominate Trump again when R’s have a bench & Biden is polling in the 30s. https://t.co/lAWxtq9MjD
— Alyssa Farah Griffin (@Alyssafarah) January 17, 2022
In her tweet, Griffin shared a link to an Axios report that stated former President Donald Trump has been privately trashing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), claiming he “has no personal charisma and has a dull personality.”
One source told Axios that Trump is frustrated “that Ron DeSantis won’t say he won’t run [in 2024]. … The others have stated pretty clearly they won’t challenge him.”
Several polls have shown DeSantis as the front-runner for the Republican nomination if Trump does not run.
While DeSantis has not said he would bow out if Trump runs in 2024, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said she would not run if Trump did.
Additionally, Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tim Scott (R-.S.C.) have said they would support the former president if he mounted another bid for the White House.
While former Vice President Mike Pence has not ruled out challenging his former running mate either, Axios reports, “[Trump has] told advisers he thinks Pence’s future in GOP politics is over after he abided by the Constitution and refused Trump’s request to send electors back to the states on Jan. 6, 2021.”
Griffin, who is now a CNN commentator, has been critical of Trump and told the network’s Jake Tapper that the former president would “absolutely” implement a form of autocracy if he is elected in 2024.