Trump's arch-rival
Obstacles to DeSantis to win the Republican presidential nomination
DeSantis lacks the charisma that brings him closer to the electorate. A.B
Trump, despite all the scandals surrounding him, is still very popular with Republicans. Reuters
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The contest for the Republican nomination for the White House is between Ron DeSantis, a forty-something who enjoys far-right support and has just been re-elected by a high percentage as governor of Florida, and former President Donald Trump, a septuagenarian who faces a number of lawsuits and investigations, but leads by a wide margin in opinion polls.
In his battle with DeSantis to represent his party in the 2024 election, Trump is once again loudly confusing the parameters of American politics, astonishing critics who consider him more fragile than ever.
Trump succeeded in denying the editorials of conservative newspapers, which nicknamed DeSantis "the Future" after his good performance in the midterm elections. After many conservatives pinned their hopes on the Florida governor, he is lagging behind in confronting Trump.
Of course, the results of opinion polls must be considered questioned, especially since DeSantis, 44, has not yet officially started the race, but many consider his candidacy certain, suggesting an imminent announcement in this regard, and some television advertisements now include "DeSantis as president."
Why does the former baseball player, a married college with three children, find it difficult to gather support? What has made Donald Trump retain his popularity, despite the House impeaching him twice in two impeachment mechanisms, and the judicial troubles he faces?
War on Progressive Propositions
DeSantis has put his state of Florida into a laboratory for conservative ideas, facilitating access to firearms, and waging war on all progressive propositions.
His shocking measures no doubt made him widely known, but Larry Sabato, a political expert at the University of Virginia, says that "it's hard to love DeSantis," citing his lack of charisma.
"The more we know DeSantis, the more we dissipate our admiration for him. He is not close to the people, his speeches are often disappointing, and he made many surprising choices that offended him," especially his very extreme positions on abortion.
Aggression
For his part, Trump, despite the many investigations targeting him, did not hesitate to start the race, denouncing a "fierce campaign" against him, a slogan around which his voter base, most of whom remained loyal to him, rallies.
Trump is dismissive of being indicted by a New York court, boasting of raising millions of dollars thanks to the historic move that has garnered media attention.
Trump, whose fall seemed likely many times, has managed to overcome all the scandals so far, as if they were no longer touched by their frequent occurrence.
After abandoning much of his camp when supporters stormed the Capitol on January 2021, 76, the <>-year-old billionaire managed within a few months to re-tighten his grip on the Republican Party.
Most Republican candidates have avoided criticizing Trump in the context of the cases against him, fearing an outpouring of anger and keen to take into account voters who admire him immensely.
Only Ron DeSantis criticized him, which saw him face a campaign of anger from the Trump camp.
Larry Sabato said that "Republican voters have made Trump's enemies their enemies."
But in his confrontation with Trump, DeSantis is counting on a $110 million ballot box, which he hopes will enable him to make up a little for his delay by launching a nationwide advertising campaign.
In an announcement recently aired by his pro-Trump Political Action Committee, a man can be seen hanging a poster with "DeSantis President" on a car on top of a poster of "Trump 2016," summing up the governor's planned message to voters: he embodies the new guard against Trump.
On May 13, the two rivals face off indirectly, holding two campaign rallies in Iowa, the state that opens the Republican primary in early 2024.