He is considered the new star in the Republican sky: Ronald DeSantis (44) was re-elected governor of Florida by an impressive majority. But not everyone is happy with his success. Because DeSantis puts former President Donald Trump (76) in the shadows. Republicans may favor a candidate like DeSantis in the 2024 presidential election.
DeSantis himself could also motivate the victorious election to become the next US president. In his victory speech on Tuesday, he said: “For me, the battle has only just begun.” Officially, DeSantis has not yet challenged his party colleague Trump.
Both have not yet announced their candidacy, but there is a good chance that it will come. Should there actually be a duel between Ronald DeSantis and Donald Trump, the Republicans will have to decide. And right now things aren’t looking good for the ex-president. Republicans have been turning their backs on Trump since the midterms.
“Trumpty Dumpty” vs “DeFuture”
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch (91) no longer supports Trump. He controls the largest conservative broadcasters and newspapers, including the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal and Fox News. They have always been in a good mood for Trump’s policies. Recently, however, Murdoch’s media has taken a critical stance. “Trumpty Dumpty” headlined the New York Post in Wednesday’s issue. A pun on Trump’s name and the word fool. DeSantis, on the other hand, is affectionately called “DeFuture” – a play on his last name and the word future.
Murdoch’s media has a huge impact on Republican voters. It is no coincidence that DeSantis is being named as the future leader of the Republicans, one of his staff told CNN Business. If there is a showdown between the two Republicans, Murdoch could steer the media and therefore voters in favor of DeSantis.
Clear opponent of the awake ideology
In his victory speech on Wednesday, DeSantis made clear what is and is not a priority in his politics. “We are committed to freedom, we enforce law and order, we protect parental rights, we respect our taxpayers.” And he made it clear: “We reject the Woke ideology!”
DeSantis is not a talker, he presents himself as a doer – and the Republicans are praising him for that. He passed a number of laws that Democrats hate. When the violent death of George Floyd (1973-2020) at the hands of a police officer in 2020 sparked mass protests across America, he enacted the Anti-Rioting Act, which criminalises demonstrations. The “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibits mention of gender issues in kindergartens and elementary schools – the conservative American dream.
DeSantis’ legal ideology resonates with Florida residents. He even won Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, two traditionally Democratic regions, in the midterms.
He is considered a “Trump with a brain”
Unlike former President Trump, DeSantis is considered observant and articulate. That is why he is also known as “Trump with a brain”. That’s not accidental. As a boy, he diligently attended Bible school and attended the elite universities of Yale and Harvard. After successfully completing his history and law studies, he enlisted in the United States Navy.
At a young age, he ran for Congress to “stop Obama,” as he put it. That also impresses many Republicans. Donald Trump, on the other hand, is not enthusiastic about his potential competitor.
The ex-president told Fox News Monday that DeSantis would “do himself a lot of harm” if he ran for the White House. In such a case, he could be doing “unflattering things” about the Republican darling. When DeSantis and Trump go head to head, it gets dirty — or, to use Biden’s words, “funny.”