The Republican campaign for president is beginning to heat up. Former President Donald Trump has gone on the attack against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

What You Need To Know

  •  Former President Donald Trump has gone on the attack against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024

  •  Trump is railing against DeSantis for supporting cuts to Social Security and Medicare while he was in Congress — and now a super PAC supporting DeSantis is going after Trump

  • The Trump campaign said in a news release that DeSantis "wants to rip retirement benefits away from Americans," adding that "DeSantis is colluding with his globalist handlers to go full Never Trump in order to gaslight the people into thinking that Medicare and Social Security should be ripped away from hard-working Americans"

  • Pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down Inc. put out an ad on Sunday, claiming that Trump is "stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook," and pledging that Republicans won't mess with Social Security

Trump is railing against DeSantis for supporting cuts to Social Security and Medicare while he was in Congress — and, in return, a super PAC supporting DeSantis is striking back at Trump.

While DeSantis has not declared whether he will run for President, Trump's campaign has begun honing in on the governor’s legislative record. DeSantis served as a congressman from Florida’s sixth district from 2013 to 2018.

The Trump campaign said in a news release that DeSantis "wants to rip retirement benefits away from Americans," adding that "DeSantis is colluding with his globalist handlers to go full Never Trump in order to gaslight the people into thinking that Medicare and Social Security should be ripped away from hard-working Americans."

Pro-Trump PAC Make America Great Inc. has also launched two ads on the issue within the past two weeks, saying, "In Congress, DeSantis voted three separate times to cut Social Security."

During the November midterm elections, Democrats, including President Joe Biden, repeatedly went after Congressional Republicans, specifically denouncing a plan by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to sunset all federal legislation every five years. 

The White House argued that the plan would put retirement programs "on the chopping block.” Scott has since amended the proposal outlining specific exceptions for Medicare and Social Security.

Pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down Inc. put out an ad on Sunday, claiming that Trump is "stealing pages from the Biden-Pelosi playbook," and pledging that Republicans won't mess with Social Security.

That PAC also called out Trump for saying that "at some point, [Trump] will...take a look at" Social Security.

According to recent data from the Social Security Administration, more than 63 million Americans receive Social Security benefits. The state of Florida is one of the largest recipients of the program.