WASHINGTON — A Colorado Republican has campaign advice for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: Don’t try to “outrun Trump” from former President Donald Trump. It cannot be done.
“There’s nobody…really operating in the same field as Donald Trump.” said U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Buck said he delivered that message in person to DeSantis, the Florida governor who officially announced his candidacy for president late last month.
Since then, DeSantis has criticized Trump and argued that he would do a better job than the former president at achieving goals ranging from building a border wall to taming federal bureaucracy.
DeSantis also hit out at Trump for “petty” and “juvenile” slurs and name-calling. He told a New Hampshire radio show during his campaign last week that “his conduct” is “one of the reasons he’s not in the White House now, because I think he has alienated too many voters for things that really don’t matter.”
Buck, who did not endorse the Republican race, said DeSantis should focus on his own record.
“Ron should do his best to maintain his strong record as governor,” Buck said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: GOP lawmaker to Ron DeSantis: Don’t try to ‘outdo’ Donald Trump