Ron DeSantis reveals he would not accept Trump VP spot

In a call with supporters on Wednesday, Florida Governor and former GOP primary candidate Ron DeSantis said he did not want to be 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald Trump’s vice president, and left the door open on a potential 2028 presidential run.

According to the New York Times, DeSantis said it would be a "mistake" for Trump to "consider identity politics" when making a selection for vice president. 

When asked about a potential 2028 run during the over 30-minute call to thank backers who volunteered to serve as his presidential delegates, DeSantis said "I haven’t ruled anything out." 

DeSantis spoke on "all the baggage Trump has," saying that this is a concern for Republicans heading into the election, but added that Biden was "going to be the gift that keeps on giving." 

DeSantis also said he didn’t regret running in the primary, but said he was frustrated that "the race ended up being an incumbent race." DeSantis dropped out of the race in January. 

"The dynamics of the race were, he kept getting indicted, and he drew more support out of sympathy for that," DeSantis said of Trump at one point in the call. 

DeSantis also said in the call, "If it was really just eight, 10 Republicans who, who had never obviously been president, unlike Trump, I think we would have run away with it." 

DeSantis slammed Trump in the call, saying he failed to deliver on many of his 2016 campaign promises. 

"I was in Congress the first two years when Trump was president," DeSantis said. "I mean, we didn’t really do what we said we would do. You didn’t see any major immigration, border or any type of legislation. You didn’t see anything with repealing and replacing Obamacare. You didn’t see anything about reining in the bureaucracy. I mean, it was pretty, pretty mundane stuff." 

He said that the lack of holding Trump accountable would be a concern if he returns to the White House next year.

The Florida Republican also complained of the role conservative media had in the primary election, which he said provided "no accountability at all for anything Trump would say." 

"Their business model just doesn’t work if they offer any criticism of Trump," DeSantis said of the conservative news media, adding that this was "just an observation." 

"He said at some point he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a vote," DeSantis said. "Well, I think he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, and the conservative media wouldn’t even report on it."