Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) got into it at the GOP debate over whether DeSantis thinks former President Donald Trump is fit to be president if he becomes the Republican party’s nominee.
DeSantis made the pitch that the party shouldn’t nominate Trump because he’d aged since he ran in 2016, and wasn’t the same candidate as he was before DeSantis said that because Trump would be older when he took office in 2024 than Biden was when he took office in 2020, that was cause for concern, and the party should nominate somebody younger.
“Look, he is showing,” Desantis said. “Father time is undefeated.”
Christie then asked DeSantis repeatedly if he thought that Trump was mentally fit enough to be president, accusing him of being afraid to answer the question directly, berating him as he repeated it.
“Why doesn’t he answer the question? It was very direct. Is he fit or isn’t he?” Christie said.
All told, Christie said “Ron, is he fit?” seven straight times, all of which DeSantis deflected
Instead of giving a straight answer to the question, DeSantis just repeated that Father Time is undefeated and that the party should look to nominate somebody young enough to serve two consecutive terms for president, which Trump wouldn’t be able to do under the Constitution.
“Either you’re afraid or not listening,” Christie said about his question, asking “Ron, is he fit?” four more times, which DeSantis didn’t answer. All told, Christie asked the question 11 times.
“As a @RonDeSantis supporter, follower of hundreds of others who have stated with no issue that Trump is NOT fit, why cannot DeSantis say Trump is not fit?” asked @pmancuso on X. “Do not other DeSantis supporters feel he should answer the questions? This is why he is flailing in the polls.”
“Ron DeSantis has said father time is undefeated twice who wrote this line,” cracked another user.
“Never ask a woman her age, a man his salary, or Ron DeSantis if he thinks Trump is fit to be president,” joked @SocDem859.
