‘What a farce’: DeSantis faces ire for threatening to kick Biden off from Florida ballot

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced backlash on social media for stating that he's looking at ways to keep President Joe Biden off the 2024 ballot.

Published on: Jan 8, 2024, 18:57:32 IST

By Shweta Kukreti

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GOP presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced backlash on social media for stating that he's looking at ways to keep President Joe Biden off the 2024 ballot due to the "invasion of 8 million" at the southern border.

During a campaign event in Iowa on Friday, January 5, DeSantis said that he considers efforts to bar former President Donald Trump from the ballot are wrong.

Owing to his involvement in the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, the Colorado Supreme Court in December 2023 prohibited Trump from appearing on the state ballot. In response to Colorado's decision, several states have either taken action or are thinking about taking steps to prevent Trump from the ballot.

Also Read: Donald Trump targets rival Ron DeSantis with retort, 'He’s like a wounded falling bird'

‘This is going to be a tit for tat’, says DeSantis

In a video shared on X by a handle called ‘Republicans against Trump ’, DeSantis told reporters following the event that “This is going to be a tit for tat and it's just not gonna end well.”

"You could make a case - we're actually, I'm actually looking at this in Florida now. Could we make a credible case that Biden, because of the invasion of eight million?" he added, despite the fact that he rejects the idea that it is constitutional to bar candidates from running on primary ballots.

DeSantis has cited the eight million figure several times, referring to the number of immigrants who have allegedly entered the United States without approval during Biden's presidency.

DeSantis draws ire for claims against President Joe Biden

FollowingDeSantis' comments against Biden, several users on social mediatargettedhim, stating that "It's not his decision to make. What a farce".

"What DeSantis the bully isn't disclosing is that he's already looked into it and found no viable case, and that's the end of the story," a user said.

"Using the invasion as a reason for such a move could be seen as an overreach and a threat to democratic norms," another user slammed, while one more wrote: “Uh oh. Little Lord DeSantis is about to flip the game board over because he's losing so bad.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shweta Kukreti
Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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