Former President Donald Trump confirmed that he cast a vote for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday, saying Election Day was going to be a “very exciting day” for Republicans.
Trump cast his vote in Palm Beach, Florida, alongside his wife, Melania. He went on to say that he hopes Republicans can win Congress to start tackling crime across the country and “keep taxes low.” Republicans are widely expected to take the House of Representatives, but control of the Senate remains a toss-up.
“I think we’re gonna have a great night. I think it’s gonna be great to the country. It’s an honor to be here. They’ve done a fantastic job, but I think we’re gonna have a very big night, and it’s gonna be very exciting,” Trump told reporters gathered outside the polling place.
Republicans across the country centered their campaigns around the economy, inflation and rising crime, leading to a significant advantage in polls just before Election Day.
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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, first in line to replace Nancy Pelosi as Speaker if Republicans win, says his Party will focus on repealing plans to add 87,000 new agents to the IRS, as well as open investigations into President Biden’s administration.
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“The one thing you always have to remember is majorities are not given — they’re earned,” McCarthy told Fox News Digital last week. “We never take anything for granted, but I feel good because of the quality of the candidates we have running from Rhode Island to New Hampshire to Connecticut to Oregon to Washington to Arizona to California.”
“There is no place we can’t compete and that’s what is exciting,” he added.
Trump demurred when asked what his “big announcement” scheduled for next week will be. Many anticipate that he will announce that he is once again running for president in 2024.
Trump’s potential 2024 run has caused an apparent rift between him and DeSantis, who is widely seen as the most credible potential challenger to Trump.
Trump fired an opening salvo against DeSantis on Saturday night, dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious” at a rally in Pennsylvania. Many pro-Trump conservatives turned on the former president following the criticism, however, saying DeSantis is among the most successful and popular Republicans in the country.
“What an idiot,” wrote Rod Dreher, a senior editor at The American Conservative. “DeSantis is a far more effective leader of the Right than Trump was, if, that is, you expect a leader to get a lot done, rather than just talking about it and owning the libs.”
