Last year, former President Trump declared his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election. Trump did this despite having a series of legal and image problems to contend with.
His announcement did not have the splashy effect that 2016’s and 2022’s announcements brought. Instead, much of the country determined that Trump’s 2024 declaration was a low-energy let-down.
In the meantime, Trump’s made it his business to routinely trash Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Within the Republican Party, there are many who believe DeSantis would make a more viable presidential candidate, despite Trump’s arguments to the contrary.
Now, new polling shows that while DeSantis could beat Biden in a 2024 matchup, Trump would simply lose to Biden (again), per the New York Post.
The Situation on the Ground
At this point, the polls show that Trump is losing support within the Republican Party. Despite still having his loyalist supporters, many Republicans are willing to consider other alternatives.
As this happens, DeSantis is seeing his political stock increase, especially after his approach to COVID and his blowout reelection win last year. The Florida governor is also standing tall, despite Trump’s repeated unprovoked attacks against him.
I don’t know if DeSantis will run in 2024 or 2028. But it seems like both the Trump and Noem camps are worried about him either way. And it’s admittedly amusing that he doesn’t respond to the increasingly nasty attacks on him, which seems to drive people even crazier.
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) January 15, 2023
According to a poll by WPA Intelligence, in next year’s presidential race, DeSantis would defeat Biden by three points. However, Trump would end up losing to Biden by eight points.
WPA Intelligence is not the first to come out with this type of information either. There are some voters who would back DeSantis, but not back Trump. Meanwhile, the former president’s bombastic attitude and tendencies to lash out are also turnoffs to many Americans.
Last year, Trump also took a lot of hits for endorsing midterm election candidates who mostly got defeated by Democrats nationwide.
Who Will Get the GOP Nomination?
It’s remarkable that DeSantis is doing so well in 2024 election polls, despite not even having formally declared that he’s going to run for president. Meanwhile, Trump’s lagging in these polls arrives months after his declaration in the 2024 race.
Polls within the Republican Party have also shown DeSantis leading Trump as well. Many like DeSantis’ policies, along with his capacity to navigate through politics without repeatedly putting his foot in his mouth.
If DeSantis actually runs, he’s probably going to have to change what he’s doing and reply to critics, but right now the silence from the governor of Florida who hasn’t declared a run (and unlike Noem is less overtly ambitious) makes his attackers seem unhinged.
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) January 15, 2023
There are others who believe Trump’s time has passed and he’s now incapable of winning a general election. At this rate, it looks as though Biden is going to run for a second term. Trump already confirmed he’s running; so now, it remains to be seen whether or not DeSantis also gets into the race.
If the Florida governor does decide to run for president in 2024, he stands a very real chance of defeating both Trump and Biden.
What do you think about the latest poll showing that DeSantis would defeat Biden in 2024, whereas Trump would end up losing to Biden once more? Please feel welcome to share your takeaways in the comments area.
This article appeared in The Conservative Brief and has been published here with permission.
