The official announcement of the candidacy for the White House by the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, could confound the results of the polls of the Republican Party primaries, so far favorable to Donald Trump.
DeSantis announced his candidacy on Wednesday in a document submitted to the Federal Election Commission, and released a video in which he announces that he wants to “lead the return” of the United States, pointing out the entry of migrants at the borders, crime and interference. of the federal government as some of the main problems of the country.
In a recent interview, DeSantis recalled a conversation with a Republican Party voter, who was concerned about the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, encouraging the Florida governor to try to stop a second term for Democratic President Joe Biden.
This voter explained that they liked the policies of former President Donald Trump (who, according to polls, is the top-ranked candidate for the Republican primary), but they didn’t like his values, so they probably wouldn’t even vote.
“Then he confessed to me that he liked my policies a little less, but he liked my values a lot, so he assured me of his vote,” DeSantis explained, to show his great difference with Trump, in the race for the Republican Party. primaries he just enrolled in.
However, the differences between DeSantis and Trump run much deeper.
Ron DeSantis wants to bring his brand of leadership that he experienced in Florida and which earned him an amazing result in the midterm elections last November, re-electing him for another term as governor.
Born in 1978, DeSantis presents himself as the face of a new generation of Republicans who reject the most radical positions of their party, without denying conservative and traditional values.
Still, the Florida governor has also drawn a lot of criticism, especially from environmental groups unhappy with his treatment of climate change.
But when surrounded politically, DeSantis demonstrates his political savvy by resorting to ambiguity, as he did last March when he declared that defending Ukraine against Russian invasion should not be a priority for the US government, moving tactically close to Trump’s positions and debunking criticism. of his supporters in Congress.
His military training gave him the image of a disciplined man with a cold spirit in the face of the toughest adversities, having been praised for the balanced way in which he faced the covid-19 pandemic in his state government.
This prestige is what most worries Donald Trump’s team, who soon realized that the biggest internal threat to a presidential re-election came from Florida and had the face of one of the most influential Republicans who rarely agreed with him. former president.
By the way, DeSantis even harshly criticized Trump when he was in the White House, making no secret of differences in relevant areas, from the economy (where he is more accepting of public investment) to immigration (condemning exaggerations in restrictions on tickets).
Polls indicate that Trump is ahead of DeSantis by about 30 points, and has been growing in recent weeks, but analysts believe that this gap can be closed quickly with the official announcement of the entry into the race for governor of Florida. .
At the GOP headquarters there are still concerns that DeSantis will be particularly vulnerable in a matchup with Joe Biden in the “swing states” considered crucial to the final outcome of the 2025 presidential election: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
On the other hand, the formalization of the candidacy of Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina could also confuse the outcome of the primaries, to the detriment of Trump, since it could attract voters who are increasingly uncomfortable with legal cases in which that the ex – The president is involved.
But there is another aspect of DeSantis’s candidacy that worries the Trump campaign: how the Florida governor can win over funders.
For the next few days, DeSantis has reserved dozens of rooms in various Florida hotels so he can meet with many of these donors and make sure his campaign has plenty of money to face a long, hard fight against the powerful Trump machine.
Source: TSF
