Former DeSantis PAC spokesman urges GOP to 'unify' behind Trump

On Wednesday, ex-Trump adviser-turned-DeSantis supporter Steve Cortes penned an op-ed in RealClear Politics urging Republican candidates and voters alike to "read the room" and unify behind the former president.

Cortes, who endorsed the Florida governor for president before his campaign had even kicked off, acknowledged that he was wrong to believe American conservatives were ready to move on from Trump, and that he was now the only candidate in the race worth backing.

"I believed that Republican voters were ready for a new post-Trump chapter of the America First movement," Cortes began. "I now believe I was wrong ...  It is time to coalesce and unite behind the clear preference of the GOP grassroots, Donald John Trump."
 

"We do not have the luxury of further internal strife and instead must gird for an epic battle this autumn against our opponents who are inflicting daily damage upon America," he continued. "Any further time, capital, and effort spent attacking the frontrunner, especially with Democratic Party-like talking points, only dilutes the power of our cause as we head toward November."

Cortes went on to list some of Trump's qualities that have won over millions of voters, including his "resilience" in the face of political attacks, mounting legal woes, and attempts to remove him from the ballot in numerous states.

"I implore all patriotic populists to join as I pledge to do all I can to work for Trump’s cause," he concluded, "just as I proudly did in 2016 and 2020."

As the Messenger reports, Cortes joined the DeSantis campaign in May 2023 and became spokesman for the Never Back Down PAC. While he stepped down from that role in October to launch his own show, he maintained his support for DeSantis. 

Now, three months later, he has come full circle, going all-in for Trump.