Kimberly Guilfoyle told Newsmax the nation needs a proven leader in 2024 and not a "rookie" like Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis or South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott.
"It's not the time for training wheels or the time to roll the dice on someone who is still a rookie, quite frankly," Guilfoyle, a former Trump adviser, said during an appearance on Newsmax TV's "America Right Now" Saturday.
"It's not time to go into Toys-R-Us and [take] off the training wheels and take a spin around the aisle and see if it works out.
"We've already seen all the record of accomplishments under Donald Trump. The wage growth, energy independence, middle-class tax relief, the most secure border in decades. We have peace deals in the Middle East that were historic, and there's so much more. That's what we need now, again. This is not the time to play around."
Both Scott and DeSantis officially joined the GOP 2024 primary race this week, which still has Trump on top of the polling for the party’s nomination.
She said DeSantis has "done a fine job" as governor of Florida, but he should remain there and finish his second four-year term that he won in November 2022.
"Look what's happening with [President] Joe Biden and his administration. It's been a complete disaster," she said.
"[It’s been] totally destructive to America. Ron DeSantis is doing a fine job in Florida in my opinion, he should stay here and do the job. He made a commitment when he was just re-elected to do four years and serve. If you're going to be on the road running for a campaign for president, that’s not going to happen, and he's not ready for it."
She said he should wait for 2028, which would be when a second and final Trump term would end, giving him the “groundswell” of support from Trump MAGA supporters.
"You're going to run against Donald Trump [in 2024]. You are going to get hurt and damaged badly," she said. "That is the problem. You’re going to end up in the junkyard."
She said despite DeSantis having the backing of very wealthy donors, Trump will be the GOP nominee "1,000%."
"[Trump] is going to crush it in the primary, and we are just laser focused on the general election, and beating Joe Biden," she said.
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