Former President Donald Trump declared that Gov. Ron DeSantis is "very unlikely" to be his running mate 2024 and has issued attacks against his record. Trump claimed that DeSantis, who was elected in November by a 19-point margin, "can't win" a national election due to his alleged votes against Social Security, Medicare and education. Trump has also reportedly put out a message that DeSantis staffers will be blackballed from his campaign. In response, DeSantis has been recalibrating his strategy and messaging as his presidential ambitions in 2024 face signs of faltering. While Trump currently holds a 54% to 26% lead over DeSantis among Republican primary voters as per Morning Consult tracking polls, DeSantis has taken a few swipes at Trump, calling him out for his character and dubbing Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" DeSantis has been setting the groundwork for a campaign, traveling to early voting states and meeting with GOP donors. To counter Trump's attempts to define DeSantis before he can tell his own story, a Super PAC encouraging DeSantis to enter the 2024 race recently hired veteran GOP strategist Jeff Roe. Despite the current setbacks and Trump's disparaging remarks, DeSantis is determined to stay the course and focus on building relationships with the operatives and introducing himself to voters.
POLITICS
SOCIAL SECURITY
DONALD TRUMP