Despite not being present at Wednesday’s third GOP presidential debate, the Trump campaign declared former President Trump the winner, saying his rivals were “cheap knockoffs.”
Senior Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita spoke with The Hill about the debate after its conclusion, noting that the former president didn’t need to be present to beat those on stage, whom he referred to as “out-of-tune tribute bands.”
With the former president boasting a commanding lead of more than 50% against his closest GOP opponent in most primary polls, LaCivita said that the “GOP debate was a complete waste of time and money.”
“Voters want a return to the country we had just three short years ago before Biden and the radical left began to destroy it, and voters believe President Trump is the only one who can make this a reality,” LaCivita said. “Simply put, voters want to Make America Great Again.”
LaCivita also mentioned that Trump’s closest opponents, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, should consider ending their campaigns now.
“They are going nowhere, and at this point, every dollar sent to their campaigns or their SuperPACs may as well be going directly to Joe Biden. Donald J. Trump is going to be the next president of the United States,” LaCivita said. “It’s up to DeSantis and Haley to determine if they want a political future … or not.”
At the moment, Trump is fighting one of many legal fires head-on in his home state of New York City. The former president is currently battling a $750 million fraud case brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
James alleges that Trump lied about the value of his properties and his overall wealth in order to secure better loans for his business. The former president and his three adult children have all taken the stand in the case, the most recent being his daughter, Ivanka Trump.
However, on Wednesday, Trump held a rally in Hialeah, Florida, a short drive from where the GOP debate was being held in Miami.
Luis Valdez Jimenez, a board member with Miami Young Republicans, spoke with Axios about the former president’s clashing rally, saying it “definitely took away a lot of enthusiasm from the debate.”
“Trump has a very strong following in Miami, especially among many Latinos, which make up a majority of the population,” he said in a statement. “The DeSantis campaign has struggled to break into this key demographic.”
With the 2024 election now less than a year away, time will only tell who will be on the ballot for the Republicans and Democrats.
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