Welcome to debate week. Trump likely will not participate in the first Republican primary debate, holding his event instead. In the meantime, his supporters are working overtime to drag Ron DeSantis over a remark he made in an interview.

Thin skin is nothing new and Trump is known for striking over every perceived slight. His supporters are just as vigilant. The latest incident involves an answer DeSantis gave when he was asked about accusations that he is a “RINO.” He delivered a reasonable response but set off Team Trump with one term – “listless vessels.”

First, listen to the words coming from DeSantis. The questioner asks about the label of RINO and the charge that DeSantis is a puppet for the Bushes and Establishment Republicans.

“If all we are is listless vessels that are just supposed to follow whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning — that’s not going to be a durable movement.” pic.twitter.com/zAaxdYOGbk

— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) August 19, 2023

If you are an Only-Trump voter, does any of that offend you? DeSantis didn’t call out Trump supporters, he was speaking in general terms about Republican voters. This is a heated primary season, though, and tempers flared in MAGA world. A failed political candidate turned Trump spokesperson demands that DeSantis apologize to Trump supporters. Believe it or not, “listless vessels” is in line with Hillary’s deplorables remark.

https://t.co/ehBwZMMc4Z pic.twitter.com/ehBsJOTlfC

— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) August 19, 2023

Hacks like Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press today are busy labeling the remark as an attack on Trump supporters. The media loves this stuff because it shows the deep divide within the Republican Party and it’s very good news for Democrats. I don’t use the term RINO because I think it is meaningless and nonsensical. Couldn’t a critic say that Trump is a RINO because he was a Democrat-supporting New Yorker for many years? The label is silly.

The point is that Republican voters are not all the same. DeSantis was pointing out that voters think for themselves. Politics shouldn’t be treated as a cult of hero worship. A movement can’t be around one person. That’s a cult.

Team DeSantis responded to the manufactured kerfuffle.

The dishonest media refuses to report the facts—Donald Trump and some congressional endorsers are “listless vessels.” Why? Because Trump and DC insiders feel he is entitled to your vote. @RonDeSantis believes your trust should be earned and has the vision, plan, and record to… https://t.co/3WAKV4JnVy

— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) August 19, 2023

One of Trump’s biggest flaws is his sense of entitlement. He thinks he’s owed his re-election. DeSantis and the other candidates are on the campaign trail to earn votes. Trump has to do the same. He can’t just rely on Truth Social to campaign.

Meanwhile, other things are happening. Erick Erickson hosted his annual conservative event – The Gathering – in Atlanta this weekend. Some of the presidential candidates spoke. Erickson interviewed his guests on stage. DeSantis and Vivek were the most enthusiastically welcomed, in my opinion, by the crowd. Younger voters are interested in Vivek. Trump was not invited to the event. Nikki Haley also spoke, as did Mike Pence.

DeSantis is preparing to be the center of the attacks on the debate stage this week. I think even if Trump was on the stage, DeSantis would still feel the most heat. Of course, Trump would focus on him, but also the others. Except for Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson, none of the other candidates who will be on the stage have gone in to attack Trump with any regularity. No one is laying a glove on him. Asa Hutchison, by the way, is reported to have met the requirements and will be on the stage Wednesday night.

A memo was sent by the new DeSantis campaign manager to donors that reassured them that the candidate is ready for the debate. James Uthmeier said the primary is a “two-man race” between DeSantis and Trump.

The campaign is “fully prepared” to be “on the receiving end of false, desperate charges from other candidates and the legacy media,” the memo states. Uthmeier writes that the first debate, which will take place in Milwaukee, is other candidates’ “biggest chance yet to grab headlines by attacking the governor, so we know they will try their best.”

In contrast to the super PAC-floated talking points, DeSantis’ campaign memo states his objective on the debate stage “will be to lay out his vision to beat Joe Biden, reverse American decline, and revive the American Dream.”

“Viewers at home will see the fighter who volunteered to serve our country and deployed to Iraq after 9/11, the father who wants to restore America’s promise to future generations for his children and theirs, and the champion of freedom who stood up time and again as governor to defeat the left,” the memo states.

The debate should be a good starting point in the eventual weeding out of some candidates. That will help the finalists. There’s still time and no one should expect candidates to start dropping out yet, though. That won’t happen until closer to the Iowa caucuses, after the first of next year. Until then, it’s going to be a long few months until the end of this year.