By Kit Maher and Steve Contorno | CNN
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has no intention of serving as vice president and left open the possibility of another White House run in 2028, according to three sources on a private call Wednesday with his supporters and those who volunteered to be delegates for the former presidential candidate.
Audio of the call was first obtained and reported on by the New York Post. The authenticity of the quotes from the New York Post and The New York Times, which also obtained the call, were confirmed to CNN by two sources.
DeSantis dropped out of the Republican presidential primary last month shortly after losing the Iowa caucuses, and endorsed former President Donald Trump, who is now hurtling toward the GOP nomination.
According to one source on the Wednesday call, a person asked DeSantis essentially if he had any advice about the type of person the Republican nominee should choose as a running mate.
After reiterating that he’s not interested in the job, DeSantis said that his criteria for choosing a running mate probably differs from Trump’s, suggesting that identity politics is more of a factor for the former president and his team.
“I’ve heard that they are looking more at identity politics. I think that’s a mistake. I think you should just focus on who you think the best person for the job would be,” DeSantis said.
Despite Trump telling Fox News this week that DeSantis was on his short list of potential ticket mates, DeSantis said definitively Wednesday that he would not serve as vice president, indicating that he would be more effective remaining Florida governor, two sources said.
As a presidential candidate, DeSantis consistently said he would not serve as vice president, whether under Trump or anyone else. One source also acknowledged that what DeSantis said on this call did not differ greatly from what he said as a candidate.
While he ruled out being vice president, he didn’t rule out a 2028…
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