DeSantis: Trump Should Avoid ‘Identity Politics’ for VP

(RepublicanReport.org) – Former President Donald Trump recently confirmed the names of several possible candidates he’s considering for his running mate. One of them is past primary opponent Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). The Florida Governor has concerns, however, claiming he heard “identity politics” might color Trump’s final decision for vice president (VP). He said he believes such a move would be a “mistake.”

NBC News reports that DeSantis made the comment while participating in a 34-minute video “thank you” call with over 200 of his previous supporters. He voiced his concerns to the group, composed mostly of state-level Republicans and delegates in Florida, with “identity politics” being a main talking point. The comment seemed to come in response to the wide diversity in Trump’s VP shortlist, which also includes two black men (former South Carolina Sen. Scott and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds), a Hindu Indian man (entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy), and two women (South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard) — the latter of which is also native Hawaiian.

Identity politics, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, emerged as a result of political actions like the Civil Rights movement and second-wave feminism. It creates claims that some people cater to marginalized groups in an attempt to provoke feelings of recognition, inclusiveness, and solidarity. DeSantis was apparently alleging that Trump was weighing between the different minorities in an effort to appeal to their individual groups. For example, choosing Scott or Donalds might boost Trump’s support among black voters. Given that the Florida governor is the only white male on the shortlist, he might have been attempting to position himself as the only real choice to represent the majority of Americans.

A spokesperson for the Trump campaign, Karoline Leavitt, accused DeSantis of “throw[ing] cheap shots” and insisted that the Florida governor shift his focus on helping the MAGA movement “fire Joe Biden” for good.