Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently launched his presidential campaign on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk, putting an end to many months of rumors circulating about his 2024 bid. Former President Donald Trump quickly and swiftly got ahead of the announcement since the 2022 midterm elections and targeted DeSantis as a traitor who used him to get elected as governor.
DeSantis’ announcement was coupled with a video where he proclaimed that he was going to lead a “Great American Comeback.”
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But as the GOP field is growing to include more and more candidates, it reportedly appears that Trump stands to benefit. At least, that is what Trump supporters are thinking. Across several polls, Trump still holds a commanding lead, almost all of the time beating DeSantis by double digits, who remains his strongest opponent.
As the 44-year-old governor and the other candidates try to position themselves as the inheritors of the MAGA movement, Trump’s voters do not appear to be abandoning him. A former Trump administration veteran reportedly said that when DeSantis gets on the debate stage with Trump he is just going to look like a “conservative Pete Buttigieg.”
But DeSantis is not necessarily disliked. A CNN poll says that a combined 85 percent of Republicans would either support him (29 percent) or consider it (59 percent). The numbers indicate that debates might be in favor of the governor. However, the same poll as a combined 84 percent of Republicans saying that they would either support Trump (53 percent) or would consider supporting him (31 percent).
President Biden’s approval rating sits at 40 percent with two of the most pressing issues facing voters being immigration and inflation. 41 percent of Democrats reportedly favor the idea that he should be “tougher” on immigration. His overall approval rating when it comes to handling the border is only 37 percent contrasted with 63 percent disapproving.
