Campaign

Florida Democrat: 2024 GOP primary ‘about to turn into a UFC-WWE fight’

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) predicts the 2024 Republican presidential primary is “about to turn into a UFC-WWE fight” as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) preps to enter the race alongside former President Trump and other big GOP names. 

“You know, Vince McMahon could produce this between Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis — there’s reports last night that maybe Chris Christie is gonna get into the race,” Moskowitz said on “CNN This Morning.” McMahon is the longtime head of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

“We better buckle up and strap in, because this is going to be something we’ve not seen. You know, you don’t get around Donald Trump. You’re gonna have to go through Donald Trump,” the Democrat said. 

Trump kicked off his campaign just after the midterms, running to retake the White House after losing his 2020 reelection bid. DeSantis has long been a rumored possible challenger to the former president and is reportedly set to officially enter the race later this week. 

Also in the running are former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott. 

Moskowitz said Monday that he thinks DeSantis has been trying to hit Trump “with some kid gloves” ahead of his expected 2024 launch. 

“But if you’re gonna … go take down Donald Trump, you’re gonna have to … play on his level,” Moskowitz said.

The Florida Democrat called his state’s governor “extremely bright” but said recent policies coming out of the state legislature and the governor’s office have been an apparent move to try “to get to the right of Donald Trump — which, I don’t believe there’s such a thing, but he’s going to attempt it.”