Outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan (R-MD) said Tuesday on CNN’s “The Lead” that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was too focused on the Republican Party base to win national office.
Hogan said, “The party has been focused on firing up the base, and they have done a terrible job at reaching swing voters in the middle.”
Anchor Jake Tapper said, “Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is often cited by conservative Republicans as somebody they might want to see run for president. You’ve called him an important voice, one of the important voices for the party. Do you think he would be good at what you’re talking about in terms of reaching out to people in the middle?”
Hogan said, “Well, he hasn’t done it so far. He’s done a really good job of getting on Fox News, and he’s capturing a lot of attention. But he certainly hasn’t done it the way Charlie Baker and Phil Scott, and I have. We’re consistently the most, the highest job approval in the country. And I think DeSantis is down around 30th place among governors.”
Trapper said, “Is that because he’s too focused on the base, too focused on red meat issues?”
Hogan said, “He is focused on the base, and he’s doing pretty well with the base. But he’s going to have to figure out a way if he wants a political future beyond Florida, to appeal to a broader audience.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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