Ron DeSantis won't say if he believes Pence could have overturned Trump's loss


Florida governor and rumoured 2024 hopeful Ron DeSantis (R) is keeping quiet — at least on this latest piece of GOP drama.
When asked by a reporter who he sides with in the ongoing debacle concerning former Vice President Mike Pence's certifcation of the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump (who has claimed Pence could have overturned the results), DeSantis replied, "I'm not. I ...," before cutting himself off, NBC News reports.
When further pressed, DeSantis changed the subject and commended his "great working relationship" with the Trump administration, and then came after President Biden for blocking his agenda, per NBC News.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
DeSantis' non-answer likely has something to do, if not much to do, with a possible White House bid and the political kiss of death that is crossing Trump (hey, just look at GOP Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Liz Cheney (Wyo.). Notably, early polls rank DeSantis as a distant second to Trump in the 2024 presidential race, or the frontrunner should the former president decline to run, NBC News notes.
On Friday, Pence spoke out against his ex-boss' claims and correctly said "Trump is wrong" for suggesting the vice president could have changed the outcome of the contest.
Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of lawmakers is assessing whether to reform the Electoral Count Act so as to remove any ambiguity from the vice president's role in the process and "give the courts more say" in the end, notes NBC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
'The way AI is discussed makes it seem like this is a necessary outcome'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Iran: Is regime change possible?
Feature The U.S.-Israeli attack exposed cracks in Iran's regime
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
How will Trump's megabill affect you?
Today's Big Question Republicans have passed the 'big, beautiful bill' through Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling