Let DeSantis-Trump race for ’24 begin
Forgive me for saying this, but the race for the White House is about to start in force.
If you thought you could get a breather from nonstop political rancor, you’re out of luck.
Now that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has secured an easy reelection (his victory was called shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday), he is expected to turn his focus to his 2024 ambitions.
By releasing a final campaign ad for governor in which he was portrayed as a freedom fighter appointed by God, it came across more like the soft launch of a presidential run.
He’s not the only one with his sights beyond the midterms.
Former President Donald Trump has hinted at an announcement for months, but he has turned up the noise in recent days about a 2024 bid for the White House. The latest is that he’ll announce something “big” next Tuesday.
By teasing a run, Trump has made it difficult for other Republican presidential hopefuls. If he runs, it will rule out chances of winning for most other GOP candidates.
Not everyone, though.
‘Ron DeSanctimonious’ is no ‘Trump incarnate’
In the past year, DeSantis has risen as a GOP superstar for his conservative leadership in Florida and for standing up to progressive ideologies in schools and corporations – and he has done it without bowing to the altar of Trump as too many other Republicans have.
The fact that he has been an asset on the campaign trail to other candidates also highlights how the party sees him as a rising leader.
He has broken records in fundraising for his gubernatorial race, and he has built a donor base around the country that proves he has what it takes for a presidential run. He has even outraised Trump, and won over many of the former president’s supporters.
There are many in the Republican Party, including donors, who are sick and tired of Trump’s endless drama and criminal investigations.
They see DeSantis as someone fresh, who could fight for the policies they support without the baggage Trump brings.
All of this has made DeSantis a target of Trump – and the Democrats.
A week ago, President Joe Biden called DeSantis “Donald Trump incarnate” at a Florida fundraiser – quite a different tone from their partnership in response to Hurricane Ian. (It’s not clear whether Biden will run again, but there are Democrats turning against him.)
Not to be outdone, Trump chimed in with insults, too.
At a weekend Pennsylvania rally – just days before the midterms – Trump angered a lot of conservatives when he mocked DeSantis by branding him with the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
Trump’s signature name-calling is his way of belittling opponents or those he feels threatened by, and clearly DeSantis is threatening to him.
Election dynamics will be very different in 2024
While this may work on other candidates, DeSantis has built loyalty among the base, and Trump’s antics could backfire. It’s noteworthy that Trump withheld the name-calling of DeSantis at a Sunday rally in Miami.
Until recently, I had thought Trump wouldn’t run again. Winning is his brand. And as several Republican strategists have told me, given that he has already lost once, there’s a strong possibility he could be branded as a two-time loser. He has (falsely) convinced enough of his fans the election was “stolen” from him in 2020. He’s not going to get away with that excuse again.
The dynamics will be very different in 2024 than they were in 2016, too. Trump brings with him the shadow of indictments, two impeachments – and an almost-certain challenge from DeSantis.
While Trump likes to boast of straw polls that show him trumping DeSantis in a 2024 matchup, plenty of others have shown the opposite.
The nomination wouldn’t be a sure thing for Trump, and I think he knows it.