The recent political rift between former president Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis is becoming more pronounced after Republican Senators have expressed concerns over DeSantis's stance on Ukraine. DeSantis has likened the war between Russia and Ukraine to a "territorial dispute" and suggested that it is not of "vital" national interest to the United States. This has caused a divide within the GOP, with some Senators supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression and echoing the stance of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky. ) and others, such as Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala. ), siding with DeSantis and citing a Pew Research poll, which showed 40 percent of the Republican respondents stating the U.S. Ukraine was giving too much aid.
DeSantis has yet to announce his 2024 presidential bid, but Trump has already started attacking him, Nicknaming him 'Ron DeSanctimonious' and claiming he had begged for Trump's endorsement in the 2018 gubernatorial primary. Trump's campaign has started buying Facebook ads promoting a picture of DeSantis sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office and a super-PAC aligned with Trump has filed a complaint against the governor. Trump has accused DeSantis of wanting to "decimate" social security and compared him to Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who voted twice to convict Trump on impeachment charges.
Senate Republicans have warned that negative politics tend to backfire and urged Trump to draw contrasts on issues with Democrats rather than tearing down his fellow Republicans. They have further cautioned that Trump's strategy of creating a divide between DeSantis and the working-class and rural voters who make up his base could turn off swing voters.
Protect Women Ohio, a conservative anti-abortion group, recently launched a $5 million ad campaign opposing an effort to enshrine abortion rights into the state's constitution. The proposed amendment would allow individuals to make their own reproductive decisions, including abortion, but opponents are arguing that it would "cut out" parents from decisions made by their children.
A survey conducted by the Future Action Fund and HIT Strategies revealed that the top issue among Black voters was inflation, with jobs following on second and the economy on third. Over 40 percent of respondents also noted that acts of White supremacy should be recognized as domestic terrorism and that there should be a National Security Threat classification for White supremacy.
The Republican Party is at a crossroads, and DeSantis' views on Ukraine will likely play a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential primary. DeSantis should explicitly back more of U.S. U.S. aid to Ukraine and its eventual membership in the E.U. state that the NATO alliance is not a one-way street and that U.S. Support for Europe requires its nations to back the United States in its goals. If DeSantis is to appeal to MAGA Republicans, he must understand the political dynamics of the GOP and ensure that his policies are in line with the majority of non-MAGA Republicans.