Ron DeSantis is expected to enter the Republican presidential race on Wednesday, setting off months of campaign litigation with former President Donald Trump.
Desantis, 44 years old, is expected to enter the competition in an unusual way – at an event with billionaire Elon Musk on Twitter. Florida’s governor also plans to file nomination papers with the Federal Election Commission, aides said.
DeSantis could be making history if he wins the Republican nomination in 2024. There has never been a president born in Florida, or a president who has been a Florida governor or senator – Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio both tried but were defeated by Trump in 2016. he was the first president of the state even though he spent decades in his birthplace of New York, because Florida has been for many years his original home.)
At the inauguration in 2025, DeSantis will be 46 years and four months old, making him the youngest president since John F. Kennedy in 1960 and the third youngest. However, for any question about his lack of experience on the national or international stage – he was a US congressman for five years with a lesser record – than in the general election with the incumbent Joe Biden, whose strength at 80 has been askedit would be beneficial.
To be clear, there are some announced candidates in the race, but they all need to figure out how to appeal to many Republicans who are closed to Trump and also attract voters who may not be sure to support Trump in 2024, even if they do. he already.
“[DeSantis] he will not win by being elected with votes other than Trump’s,” said Sarah Isgur, a veteran of several Republican presidential campaigns. “They need to get voters away from Trump.
As It Happens6:39Why some Republicans think Ron DeSantis is the future of the party
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won his second consecutive victory in the state in the US midterm elections on Tuesday, with a 20-point lead over his Democratic counterpart Charlie Crist. CNN political commentator Scott Jennings spoke with As It Happens host Nil Köksal about how DeSantis compares to former US President Donald Trump, and what his victory means for Republicans across the country.
A strong start is important
Across the country, Trump has been leading in the polls among loyalists or Republican voters. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted this month showed Trump with the support of 49 percent of Republicans and DeSantis with 19 percent.
Former White House aide Karl Rove told Fox News this week that there are many voters, even Republicans, who know little more about DeSantis than the headlines.
“It’s a mistake, in my opinion, to spend too much time on the election and not enough time on why President Trump deserves a second term in office because of his vision for the future,” he said.
Most importantly, state elections are limited to state-by-state contests.
DeSantis is voting at a respectable level in Iowa for the first time, considering that he has not announced his intentions, while Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Joni Ernst hosted one of her recent speeches. It is a state that Trump lost in the 2016 Republican race, to Ted Cruz.
Unlike the Democratic primaries — in which candidates who receive at least 15 percent of the vote in a state accumulate delegates that advance in the race — The Republican agenda includes many winner-take-all states where the defeated candidates do not receive delegates, as well some aspects that reward name recognition. So, a strong start is essential for DeSantis or any Trump opponent.
Relationships will be difficult
Voting in the states that follow Iowa — New Hampshire and South Carolina — appears to be the most dangerous for DeSantis, but primary debates are still three months away. More information may be available as early as 2024.
“It’s a tough road, but he’s off to a good start,” Rove said.
These two men have a history, sometimes a good one. Trump sees himself as the kingpin of DeSantis, who endorsed him in Florida’s 2018 gubernatorial race. But attack ads targeting one or the other — not the entire Republican field — are already appearing on U.S. television, with the help of political committees supporting the two men. .
Trump’s legal troubles are the X factor. There’s little sign through polls that Republican voters are swayed by his restrictions so far — including a general hearing this month. found guilty of rape and his pending trial in 2024 for falsifying business history in a money laundering case. Decisions should not be made, however, if charges will be filed in the broader investigation into Trump’s pressure to change the 2020 election or his unwillingness as a private citizen to leave White House records.
In addition, too much criticism can lead to problems. There has been speculation, based on his legal findings, that Georgia’s attorney general will decide on cases in the polls for the 2020 election in August, when the main Republican debate will begin.
‘Government is not a happy story’
In an eloquent speech to a national audience, DeSantis focused on his accomplishments in Florida, as well as his overall candidacy.
Trump narrowly won the 2016 election and lost in 2020. Some in the party attribute his poor performance as president to the Republican party’s poor results in 2018 and, well, mixed results in the 2022 midterms.
In addition, Trump’s name has not been considered in the polls since he urged his supporters to boycott the 2020 elections, which led to deadly riots at the Capitol.
“Governing is not just fun. Governing is not just making a sign or talking about social media with positive signs,” DeSantis said at a recent event in Iowa. “Ultimately it’s about winning and creating results.”
DeSantis has been busy as an ambassador. He signed measures that severely restricted abortion in Florida, made it easier for people to carry concealed weapons, expanded the voucher program to allow students to attend public schools, and defunded programs at public universities, among other things.
They are still in the war against the Walt Disney Co. because of opposition to laws prohibiting the teaching of gender identity in public schools.
While some liberals see this as the use of government power to punish dissent or dissent, such opposition may not be reflected in the massive Republican race that some political scientists say it has done. he moved further to the right than the Conservative parties in Canada, the UK and Europe.
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