Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, setting up a battle for the future of the Republican Party and the nation. DeSantis, who recently filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission, will be competing against former President Donald Trump, who currently dominates most polls. However, DeSantis still has considerable support from Republicans and a large campaign fund, having reportedly received commitments of $10 million in the first 24 hours of his campaign.
DeSantis is campaigning on a hard-right, conservative platform, similar to Trump’s, and touting himself as a fighter who will aggressively pursue his agenda and punch back against critics. He has burnished his conservative bona fides by signing bills restricting abortion, defunding diversity programs at state universities, and targeting Disney’s self-governing status in Florida, among other controversial moves. However, DeSantis is also positioning himself as someone with less personal drama and baggage than Trump, who is facing multiple criminal charges and ongoing legal investigations.
The announcement comes after months of speculation, as DeSantis emerged from the pandemic as a top Republican figure. However, it also puts him on a collision course with Trump, who has been attacking him for months. Despite being former allies, Trump grew increasingly critical of DeSantis as his own national ambitions became clearer. Trump has sown doubt about the strength of DeSantis’ candidacy among donors and many Republican strategists and elected officials. He has attacked DeSantis in the run-up to his campaign launch, accusing him of advocating cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and having inappropriate relationships with students he taught 20 years ago, among other things.
DeSantis, on the other hand, has argued that it is time for Republicans to move beyond Trump, saying that “Biden and me” are the only two people with a chance to be elected president. He hopes to differentiate himself from Trump by focusing on his accomplishments as governor, including his handling of the pandemic, and by appealing to more moderate Republicans and independents. However, he faces an uphill battle against Trump, who currently has 51% of Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters, while DeSantis has 25%.
The two will now battle for the future of the GOP and the nation, with DeSantis hoping his official campaign launch will bring a significant boost to his polling. He has cancelled his post-campaign launch rally in his hometown of Dunedin, and is instead set to visit the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire over the weekend or just after Memorial Day. The logistics of DeSantis’ campaign launch have been chaotic, with insiders saying that he often shakes up plans and announces events last-minute to give an unscripted feel.
DeSantis emerged from the shadow of his political mentor, former Governor Jeb Bush, by winning the governorship in 2018. He has since positioned himself as a champion of limited government, lower taxes, and a conservative social agenda. He has also become a fierce opponent of so-called “wokeism,” cancel culture, and the “mainstream media,” endearing himself to the conservative base.
However, his right-wing, Trumpian tendencies have put him at odds with his potential base of Republican supporters and Trump’s continuing popularity. DeSantis has been judicious in responding to Trump’s attacks, while a super PAC supporting DeSantis has spent over $10 million in ads to bolster his image. Despite recent missteps and increased scrutiny, DeSantis is still the most competitive Republican challenger to Trump, according to polling and campaign finance data.
In the end, the race for the Republican nomination in 2024 will come down to a showdown between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis. The battle will be heated, divisive, and bitterly contested, with the future of the Republican Party and the nation at stake. Both men will have to make their case to the American people, and it remains to be seen who will come out on top. Only time will tell if Trumpicans will remain loyal to the former President or if they will embrace DeSantis as the new face of the Republican Party.
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