OAN’s Daniel Baldwin
9:06 AM – Saturday, May 27, 2023
New Hampshire State Representative Sandra Panek said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ announcement made her decision easy.
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“We can’t expect someone to run the country if they can’t simply run a smooth campaign launch,” Panek (R-N.H.) told One America News.
Panek flipped her allegiances from DeSantis to former President Donald Trump following DeSantis’ Twitter Space campaign launch.
“The stakes are simply too great in 2024 to take a chance on someone as unreliable as DeSantis,” Panek explained. “We need a proven winner like President Trump to take back the White House and Make America Great Again!”
Panek was listed as one of the 50+ New Hampshire elected officials backing DeSantis earlier in May by the pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down. Team Trump celebrated the news on Twitter, saying, “Republicans in New Hampshire and around the country recognize that President Trump is the only candidate who can beat Joe Biden.”
DeSantis’ campaign launch on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk struggled out of the gate, as the Twitter Space suffered tech glitches and audio cut-outs for nearly thirty minutes.
“This was a miserable launch,” Panek explained. “Too much stumbling and bumbling. The rollout campaign launch was too chaotic. Not well thought out.”
“The bumpy campaign announcement contributed to my switch,” Panek continued. “With DeSantis, you’re getting Trump without the charisma. I want the real deal.”
Panek also claimed that Trump’s track record on achieving global peace was a driving factor.
“President Trump will be known as our Peace President if you just give peace a chance,” said Panek. “Look what he accomplished with Kim Jung Un. He’s the only candidate stating that he will sit down with Putin on his first day in office and put an end to the Ukraine war. Right now we are at the brink of a nuclear war.”
This is not the first stumble for Team DeSantis in the Granite State. After first unveiling DeSantis’ 50 endorsements, Never Back Down claimed the list included “four New Hampshire Republicans who endorsed Trump 19 days ago.” However, two of the four, Reps. Juliet Harvey-Bolia and Lisa Smart, pushed back. On May 24, Harvey-Bolia pledged her full support for the 45th president.
“I’m proud to announce my full endorsement for President Trump, and only Trump,” Harvey-Bolia tweeted. “He’ll keep us out of war and prosperous as he has in the past. Ron DeSantis will make a great candidate in 2028.”
Smart took a slightly different route, criticizing the pro-DeSantis PAC and saying she only backed Trump in the GOP primary.
“I’m dismayed by the games played by Never Back Down,” Smart said in a statement. “And I will not be participating in any activities with Ron DeSantis.”
DeSantis boasted raising $8.2 million since Wednesday’s announcement. The Florida governor is set to barnstorm Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina in the coming days. Yet DeSantis still finds himself trailing the 45th president by significant margins in nearly every poll. Real Clear Politics poll average shows Trump up by more than 30 points.
“He is the most qualified and best equipped to take down the deep state and drain the swamp,” said Panek. “Trump has the experience and a proven track record.”
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