Gov. Kevin Stitt is standing by his endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president.
Republican nominee frontrunner Donald Trump, who has endorsed and been endorsed by Stitt in the past, criticized Oklahoma’s governor on social media Monday morning. Trump said Stitt called him in 2022 saying he was “in BIG trouble” and needed Trump’s blessing.
Donelle Harder, Stitt’s former campaign manager, pointed to a statement from Stitt saying he isn’t backing down.
“To unwind the disastrous liberal mandates from Biden administration, it is going to demand a candidate who can win and keep winning as a two-term president, and I believe DeSantis is that leader,” reads the statement.
The spat comes after DeSantis visited Tulsa over the weekend for a campaign rally that saw Stitt delivering his endorsement.
Stitt praised DeSantis for his handling of COVID, as well as his role in shuttling asylum seekers from San Antonio to Martha’s Vineyard in an attempt to bedevil the so-called sanctuary destination.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
