Donald Trump has reportedly been quite flummoxed and angry about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ maneuvering as he eyes mounting a potential 2024 challenge to Trump.
As time marches on, the news is only getting worse for Trump. DeSantis recently convened a crew of influential GOP donors and prominent Republican politicians in Fort Lauderdale, according to Politico. The daylong event featured a who's who of Republican governors and candidates, including Govs. Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Henry McMaster of South Carolina, and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma along with Arkansas gubernatorial candidate and former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, among others.
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The confab, orchestrated by Team DeSantis, was an opportunity for the Florida governor to center himself as the leader of like-minded donors, lawmakers, and candidates. Attendees got the opportunity to broaden their networks among rising GOP stars, well-heeled benefactors, and conservative media influencers—all with DeSantis as convener and facilitator. DeSantis, for instance, moderated several panels throughout the day.
Meanwhile, Trump has been suffering body blow after body blow. Not only is the congressional Jan. 6 probe undercutting his Alpha male cred, but multiple recent polls have suggested Trump is losing ground with GOP voters. That includes a Politico/Morning Consult poll in late June showing 53% of GOP voters still back a potential Trump '24 bid and the newly released New York Times/Siena poll in which Republican support for another Trump presidential run slipped to just 49%. As the Times headline noted, that means roughly half of Republican voters are ready to offload Trump for a fresh start.
Reporting in the last several months has suggested Trump, leery of DeSantis, is champing at the bit to announce his candidacy while top GOP operatives discourage him from doing so before the midterm elections. But Trump being Trump, who knows?
From a Democratic perspective it's helpful that GOP voters are really starting to grapple with life after Trump. In all likelihood, DeSantis would be a stronger candidate in 2024, but for now, the mere fact that some doubt and division is being injected into the GOP electorate is worthwhile. And if Trump were to get so antsy that he just dashed off an announcement without warning anyone, that would be the best possible midterm gift he could offer Democrats.
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