Former President Donald Trump’s recent remarks in West Palm Beach, Florida, sparked a heated political debate, in which he chastised Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for “wasting his time” on the presidential campaign journey rather than addressing vital concerns in the state. Trump’s latest salvo is part of an ongoing battle in which the former president uses Florida’s woes to roast DeSantis, claiming that the governor should focus on his home state’s problems.

Trump made waves with his remarks at a meeting outside his Mar-a-Lago resort, calling for DeSantis to drop out of the presidential campaign. He chastised the governor for supposedly ignoring Florida’s problems while campaigning on a national scale.
Trump focused heavily on the increasing property insurance premiums that have plagued Floridians. He emphasized that rising property insurance premiums had affected the state “like never before,” and this issue struck a strong chord with the audience, per Politico . Many Florida families are struggling to stay insured while paying expensive monthly rates, and Trump’s admission of their difficulty struck a chord with his followers.
#Florida man tells #Florida man to go back to #Florida . https://t.co/liTlTyu3ac via @leonardkl
— Craig Pittman (@craigtimes) October 12, 2023
Trump’s recent rant against DeSantis over property insurance is far from unique. The former president has previously chastised the governor on this topic, but this time the criticism seemed to hit home with the audience. A recent analysis, reported by WPTV , forecasted that property insurance premiums in Florida will stay excessively high, adding to the sense of urgency.
Former President Trump claimed DeSantis lacked both talent and charisma, painting an image of Florida families suffering while the governor campaigns across the country. When asked about the property insurance issue previously, DeSantis alluded to a recent Florida law he signed aimed at lowering costs by making it more difficult for homeowners to sue insurers. However, he cautioned that the improvements will take time to bear fruit. In response to Trump’s request that he get out of the presidential race, DeSantis’ team slammed it as “wishful thinking” on Trump’s part, claiming that he is “feeling the heat.”
Despite the angry discussion, DeSantis continues to campaign aggressively, visiting New Hampshire with the super PAC behind him, “Never Back Down,” and filing for the primary in Concord, N.H. His press secretary Bryan Griffin claims he is setting the pace in early states and has the most grassroots infrastructure of any contender in this election season, as reported by Politico.
Trump’s attacks and calls for DeSantis to “get home” to Florida have been a frequent theme throughout their political battle. Trump pushed DeSantis to focus on the state’s needs, particularly the worrisome migration of insurance firms, during a speech at the Turning Point Action conference in West Palm Beach in July 2023, per NBC News . This has been a key issue in Trump’s argument against DeSantis, who is running against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.