First Trump TV Ad Brutalizes Ron DeSantis for Voting to Cut Social Security

By Dr. Derek Ellerman

Whether you were ready for it or not, the Republican primary race for the 2024 presidential nomination started in earnest yesterday – assuming it hadn’t started already. 

While that sort of thing usually elicits grumbles, I have to admit, I’m a bit of a sucker for it now that Donald Trump is the centerpiece. 

I may be a bit unusual, but I find the man to be absolutely hysterical. 

At any rate, if you’re anything like me, you’re dying to see how this primary is going to shake out. 

First blood goes to Trump, whose allies seized on what should be a pretty effective line of attack: Ron DeSantis’ record on entitlement programs while in Congress. 

RELATED: Fox News Panel Marvels Over ‘Enormously Popular’ Trump as New Poll Shows Him Trouncing GOP Primary Opponents

DeSantis Wants Cuts to Social Security, Medicare

Somehow, it seems people have forgotten that DeSantis was a Congressman for Florida’s Sixth Congressional District. Trump’s aim is to make you remember that he was.

It’s not your imagination – you’ve heard lots of talk about the entitlement programs in recent months. And to Baby Boomers, there may be no bigger “third rail” than those two massive programs. 

Let’s take a look at the ad:

Let me tell you, if you’re retired or near retirement age, you’re not going to want to hear about how DeSantis:

• Voted three times to cut Social Security
• Voted twice to cut Medicare
• Voted to raise the retirement age to 70

Now to someone my age, this sort of attack doesn’t really land, but that’s because Social Security, Medicare, and maybe even the U.S. as presently constituted will probably not exist in 2050. 

But if you are of a certain age, it reeks of betrayal. After all, thanks to the temporary insanity of the 1930’s and the New Deal, Americans have been told for nearly a century that if they keep handing over their coppers to Uncle Sam, a nice, shiny “retirement account” has been held in trust for them for when they retire. 

There’s obviously no such thing, but people have indeed had significant chunks of their checks taken from them against their will on every paycheck, and have every right to expect that it’s coming back sooner or later. 

RELATED: Former GOP Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson Announces 2024 Presidential Run, Calls Trump a ‘Sideshow’ and ‘Distraction’

Trump vs. DeSantis

While this is the first major media buy for the cycle, it by no means marks the first shots fired in the shadow 2024 primary. 

Trump has taken advantage of DeSantis’ “no man’s land” status in between actually declaring a 2024 campaign and trying to “warm up” his run for President.

That’s left him open to body blow after body blow from Trump. 

Just one quick example – Trump calling DeSantis the pizza boy:

And who can forget the genius of “Ron DeSanctimonious”?

It’s been a mostly one-sided affair so far, but DeSantis did have some rather clever backhanded digs himself, like telling Piers Morgan, “In terms of my approach to leadership, I get personnel in the Government who have the agenda of the people and share our agenda. You bring your own agenda in you’re gone. We’re just not gonna have that.” 

As I’ve mentioned before, that’s one that hurts. It’s my biggest complaint about Trump. 

And aimed squarely at the suburban voters who think Trump is too “mean,” DeSantis shrewdly let it be known that he has no idea what “goes into paying hush money to a porn star.”

On the other hand, DeSantis was able to put it all aside and do the right thing in announcing that he would refuse to cooperate with any extradition of President Trump from Florida to New York.

The Don will have to return that kind gesture at some point.

Here’s to 2024!