According to Business Insider, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is currently facing questions about his slipping numbers in the polls, particularly in the 2024 race against former President Trump. While DeSantis has been a favorite among GOP primary voters for months, recent polls show Trump besting DeSantis 51% to 38%.
Despite his slipping poll numbers, DeSantis is the only candidate consistently coming in second to Trump in a hypothetical matchup. However, he faces tough competition from other GOP candidates such as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina who has launched an exploratory committee, and former Vice President Mike Pence who is expected to announce a decision about running in the coming weeks.
Currently, DeSantis is in Japan on an international trade mission that will also take him to South Korea, Israel, and the United Kingdom. This trip will give him an opportunity to expand his foreign policy chops, which are typically a smaller part of a governor’s portfolio.
However, there are concerns among his allies that he may be waiting too long to declare his presidential run, which could hurt his chances in the long run. Trump has benefited from a “rally-around” effect by the GOP during his indictment, and his relentless attacks on DeSantis also appear to be affecting the governor’s image with voters.
Moreover, some top donors are worried that DeSantis has gone too far right with supporting a nearly all-out ban on abortion and the removal of books from public schools. His feud with Walt Disney World has also been criticized by Republicans who are more friendly toward large corporations.
DeSantis’ tactics on Trump may also be a factor in why the governor is slipping in the polls. In the last month, he went from taking aim at Trump passive-aggressively to attacking him more directly, which could have negative consequences for him in the long run.
Despite these challenges, DeSantis is expected to make a presidential run official once the state legislature writes the state budget and closes out two more weeks of lawmaking session, giving him fresh accomplishments to boast about in a primary.
DeSantis is literally malfunctioning lolpic.twitter.com/muqpn1Nmql
— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) April 24, 2023
