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Roger Stone Threatens To Run For Florida Governor Unless Ron DeSantis Pledges To Serve Out 2nd Term If Reelected

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Roger Stone is threatening to run for governor in Florida if Ron DeSantis doesn't pledge to serve all four years in office if he's reelected.

Stone told CBS4's Jim DeFede he would run as a Libertarian or some other third-party candidate to siphon votes away from DeSantis and cost him reelection.

"Look, I have no illusions about my ability to become elected governor of Florida. That's not the point here. I believe that Gov. DeSantis, assuming he's going to run for reelection, should pledge to the people of Florida that he will fill out all four years of a second term," said Stone. "What I don't want to see is for him to be reelected and then immediately abandon Florida to run off and run for president, particularly if he's running against Donald Trump."

But what if Trump doesn't run for president in 2024? Stone maintained that the governor should still finish out his second term if reelected.

"I think it would be disingenuous to run for reelection if you don't didn't intend to fulfill the job. I just don't think Florida should be a steppingstone to the presidency for any person. I'd like to know that he is going to stay here and do the job," Stone said.

DeFede then asked Stone why he believes there's an opening for him to win votes from possibly dissatisfied DeSantis supporters.

"Well, the people who love Ron DeSantis the most are, of course, the people who have never met him. It would be nice to be said thank you to some of his donors or if he'd actually meet with the voters. He seems to be allergic to people. But perhaps that's just a different campaign style," Stone said. "I don't think that I would have to get many votes to change the results of this race."

As you may recall, Stone was convicted of lying to congressional investigators and witness tampering during the Mueller Investigation. He was pardoned by President Trump in December.

DeFede also asked him about his time in Washington in the lead up to the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol and whether Stone visited the war room set up by the Trump team.

"There's nothing to talk about. I know nothing about it. I was not there. I categorically reject and deny any insinuation, claim, assertion by anyone that I had advance knowledge or was in some way involved. Let's be very clear. It was not on The Ellipse. I did not march to the Capitol. I was not at the Capitol. I never left the grounds of my hotel on that day. I was as shocked as every other American when I saw this unfolding on TV," Stone said.

DeFede then pressed Stone where he was the day of the insurrection.

"I stayed at the Willard Hotel, and if there was a war room there, that would be unbeknownst to me," he said.

Reports have surfaced that the Willard Hotel was the "command center" for Trump loyalists working to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

"So I just want to be clear, you never visited the war room, never spoke to any of those people associated with the war room?" DeFede followed up.

"Absolutely true," Stone responded.

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