DeSantis warns Trump conviction would be ‘fatal’ in 2024, but says he’ll stick to support pledge

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fretted Thursday that a conviction of his chief rival Donald Trump will spell doom for the Republican Party’s 2024 chances — before reaffirming his commitment to back Trump if he is the GOP nominee.

“It would be fatal in a general election,” DeSantis told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” of a Trump conviction. “I don’t think the party should nominate [him] in that situation.”

“However, I signed the pledge. I’m a Republican. I don’t think it’s going to come to that,” he added. “The reality is, as I signed it, and that’s what I did.”

Like the other 2024 Republican aspirants who participated in the party’s debates, DeSantis signed a pledge to back the eventual nominee, whoever that may be.

Trump, who has skipped the only two debates conducted so far, has not signed that pledge.

The 77-year-old former president is facing 91 criminal counts spanning four different indictments related to his attempts to remain in power after his 2020 election loss, hush money payments, alleged attempts to overturn Georgia election results, and national security document hoarding.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to all pending charges against him and professed his innocence.

Currently, the first criminal case slated to head to trial is the four-count indictment in the federal 2020 election case

That trial is set to begin March 4, one day before the Super Tuesday primary contests.

DeSantis previously decried the onslaught of charges against Trump, while simultaneously underscoring his electoral liabilities.

The Trump camp responded by mocking DeSantis’ decision to appear on the reliably liberal cable channel.

“The transformation is complete. Tiny D has gone full Never Trump, campaigning for Republican primary votes on Morning Joe/MSDNC,” Trump adviser Jason Miller wrote on X in response to DeSantis’ remarks.

The transformation is complete. Tiny D has gone full Never Trump, campaigning for Republican primary votes on Morning Joe/MSDNC.