The upcoming Republican primary for the 2024 U.S. presidential election appears to be contentious, particularly between potential candidates former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The former allies have been rivals since 2022.
According to CBS News, DeSantis mentioned in an interview with journalist Piers Morgan that if he handled the COVID-19 pandemic, he would have fired Dr. Anthony Fauci despite not having the legal authority to do so.
He also explained that he would focus more on governing rather than being confrontational, nor would he engage in the payment of hush money or bribes against his opponents, an apparent jab at Trump.
In relation to Trump’s confrontational nature against DeSantis, one nickname that Trump has labeled DeSantis is “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
As a possible candidate for the Republican primary, many anticipated that DeSantis would be more committed to making quick progress in implementing his agenda than Trump during his presidency. As the governor of Florida, DeSantis has already passed notable bills, such as the Don’t Say Gay Bill, and is known for his hands off approach to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a poll by Monmouth University in March 2023, Trump currently has a lead over DeSantis in comparison to each other and other potential candidates, including Nikki Haley, for the desired Republican nominee in 2024. This contrasts with a previous poll from December 2022, which showed DeSantis in the lead. The former president retains a following over DeSantis, who is considered a rising star among the Republicans, signaling a lingering loyalty among supporters of Trump.
In a FOX News interview, DeSantis stated that focusing on Ukraine is not a priority for the United States, but he has since backtracked by discussing how wrong it was for Russia to invade Ukraine in 2022.
Not all in the rivalry showcases hate. Forbes reported that DeSantis has negative opinions on the investigation put forth by the Manhattan DA on the potential indictment of Trump during the week of March 19, stating that Trump’s indictment is solely for political reasons. DeSantis has also generally refused to directly retaliate against Trump in response to most of Trump’s insults and allegations lobbied against him. At the same time, DeSantis has made clear that he is not interested in being a running mate for Trump.
DeSantis has shown himself to be a notable rising star, but despite Trump’s controversies like the January 6 insurrection perpetrated by his supporters, or the recent calls for his indictment, Trump shows himself to remain popular among Republican voters.
On the topic of January 6, a senior political science student said, “It is alarming that Trump was allowed to remain in politics after January 6. This event went a long way towards normalizing violence within politics, and the growing extremist faction of the GOP, including representatives like Marjorie Taylor Greene, are examples of that.”
To mark the difference between the two, Trump tends to attract more media attention and has shown himself to be more confrontational against his opponents.
However, DeSantis seems more focused and efficient regarding his policy goals to the concern of many Democratic voters and supporters, while also facing less legal issues than Trump. Trump is still one of the figures most representative of the GOP even after his controversial presidency, which was helped with DeSantis’ initial opinion seemingly supporting an isolationist approach to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
It appears that both Trump and DeSantis have no intention of remaining allies with one another during the 2024 national election cycle. However, both have the same goal of curbing the influence of the Democratic Party and of the Biden administration on national politics if they both proceed as candidates.
A sophomore homeland security student said, “What is happening to the Republican Party with DeSantis and Trump is a more extreme version of what happened between progressive and liberal Democrats. The GOP has a real issue ahead of itself regarding dealing with a growing and distinctly unique MAGA movement within the party.”
