As a narcissist, Donald Trump thinks the world revolves around him, including the political world and any future election.
So it should come as no surprise that the failed, one-term former president believes he’s the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination.
But based on what’s happening behind the scenes among the megadonors who will play a major role in helping decide the 2024 GOP nominee for the White House, Trump shouldn’t be expecting to have an easy ride three years from now.
According to Politico, major donors have their eye on Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida:
“As the Republican Party charts its path forward, national donor interest in DeSantis is skyrocketing. Major givers across the country are lining up to support the governor’s 2022 reelection effort, with some committing to hosting fundraising events and others plowing funds into his campaign bank account. In the past two-plus months alone, DeSantis has received six-figure contributions from Republican megadonors including Bernie Marcus, Paul Tudor Jones and Steven Witkoff, who in March held a high-dollar fundraiser at his lavish Miami Beach home.”
Despite the early enthusiasm for DeSantis, the Florida governor isn’t a guarantee to win reelection in the Sunshine State, where many voters say they believe he’s badly mishandled the coronavirus pandemic and may have sold vaccines to the highest bidder as they were rolled out across the nation by the Biden administration.
A recent poll taken in Florida shows that in a hypothetic matchup with the most likely 2022 Democratic nominee, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, DeSantis is running dead even. That’s not exactly a comfortable position for an incumbent in a state that’s becoming more diverse and trending blue in many of the largest cities.
The polls haven’t deterred those who are early boosters of the Florida governor, with Joanne Zervos, a New York City donor, remarking:
“[He’s] a nicer version of Trump.”
That’s another problem DeSantis will have to face: His close association with Trump, whom the governor has supported since his days in Congress. If he’s running against Trump, how will he distance himself from the former president? And, conversely, how will DeSantis sell himself to independent voters who see him as an eager lickspittle for the Donald?
It’s a long way to the next presidential election. And while Ron DeSantis may be garnering rave reviews among conservatives right now, a lot can change in the months ahead. He could wind up being nothing but the flavor of the month.
