DeSantis Fires Back at Ramaswamy Call to Withdraw From Ballot: ‘Just Absurd’

GOP presidential hopeful and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called Vivek Ramaswamy's insistence he and Nikki Haley drop their names from the Colorado and Maine ballots out of solidarity with former President Donald Trump "absurd."

Ramaswamy previously announced he would remove his name from both ballots in support of the former president, who has been booted off of both ballots due to a 14th Amendment clause.

The former president is appealing both cases.

The clause prevents anyone from holding public office who has participated in an insurrection or riot (or provided aid to those who do), but Trump has won such efforts in other states. The cases are likely to end up before the Supreme Court.

Ramaswamy suggested DeSantis, Haley, and Chris Christie are "indirectly" complicit if they do not remove their names from state ballots. Trump has predicted Ramaswamy will eventually endorse him.

"Just absurd," DeSantis told Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Tuesday in response. "I mean, I have a responsibility to accumulate delegates. I'm not gonna unilaterally cede any, I’m gonna win as many as I can, and I’ve been very clear about both of those decisions and those states. It’s not consistent with the Constitution. I do expect them to get reversed."

DeSantis said he does not support the legal effort against Trump and argued President Joe Biden could face the same sort of legal scrutiny over his handling of the southern border.

The Florida governor also dismissed showing solidarity with Trump on the matter, insisting the former president would be celebrating any other candidate being booted from state ballots.

"We can play this game all along. I think it's not going to end up well for our country," DeSantis said. "But I do know this, that if any of the other ones of us had gotten kicked off the ballot, Trump would be spiking the football, let’s just be clear. That is just the fact of the matter."