The Governor of Florida started the year on a high, after a landslide re-election, but now about half the congressmen from his state back Trump.
As he prepared to leave his governor’s mansion in Jacksonville, Florida, for Washington this week, Ron DeSantis had a clear mission.
The 44-year-old was on a charm offensive in Washington, hoping to gain support from Republican congressmen for his fledgling presidential bid in 2024.
But before his plane even took off, Mr. DeSantis’ plan hit a snag: two congressmen from his own state had just endorsed Donald Trump.
By the end of this week, half of the Republicans in the House representing Florida had declared their support for Mr. Trump.
A flurry of endorsements for the former president followed on Capitol Hill, overshadowing Mr. DeSantis’ visit and any hope of a media boost – all without Mr. Trump leaving his Palm Beach beachfront mansion.
The incident exemplifies the early headwinds that a red-faced Mr. DeSantis is encountering as he prepares to challenge Mr. Trump for the Republican nomination.
Mr. DeSantis will need the support of powerful Republican lawmakers to mount a credible campaign.
Mr. DeSantis, who is set to visit Britain this month on a trade mission to bolster his credentials as an international statesman, began the year on a high after being re-elected governor of Florida by a landslide last November.
‘The sharks are circling’
GOP donors saw the young governor’s decisive victory in the country’s largest swing state as proof that he could be a leader for the party’s next generation.
However, a series of gaffes and a drop in the polls have slowed his momentum, leading even his most ardent supporters to question his presidential ambitions.
Some are openly questioning Mr. DeSantis’s decision to declare his candidacy at all.
“The Trump campaign clearly sees blood in the water, and the sharks are circling around DeSantis,” GOP strategist Dennis Lennox said of the former president’s flurry of endorsements.
“The question is, can he get through this?” “I’m someone who believes in him, but I’m not sure,” he said.
All eyes are now on Florida’s two Republican senators, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, who wield significant power but have yet to endorse in the GOP primary in 2024.
“It would be very difficult for DeSantis if they endorsed Trump or remained neutral,” Mr. Lennox said, emphasizing the importance of support from senior figures in a candidate’s home state.
Criticism from allies
Allies have also expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. DeSantis’ lack of charisma and insularity.
According to sources close to the governor, he is overly reliant on his own political instincts and those of his wife, Casey, rather than experienced campaign managers.
Whit Ayres, who worked for the governor during his 2018 campaign, said Mr. DeSantis had bypassed the people who helped him win that close race.
“He has no one around him who has been around him,” he said. So he doesn’t have a team around him that has been through the crucible of a close campaign.”
Another Republican operative stated that this was costing him, supporters and donors.
“He’s great at governing, but he’s a lousy politician,” the operative said. “He doesn’t slap people on the backs or shake their hands. He has forgotten who the donors are.”
“I’ve been to events with him where he didn’t shake a single hand or pose for a single photo,” they added.
Lack of finesse spooks donors
This lack of finesse in traditional retail politics is thought to have frightened some donors.
Strategists close to Mr. DeSantis have questioned his decision to delay announcing his presidential bid, which has hampered his ability to build campaign infrastructure in critical early states.
Mr. DeSantis has also irritated people with his clumsy attempts to navigate his party’s centrist and right-wing factions, such as referring to the Ukraine war as a “territorial dispute.” He later retracted his remarks.
He has also raised eyebrows by signing a six-week abortion ban into law, a time limit that many Americans consider excessive.
Mr. DeSantis, the self-proclaimed king of “anti-woke” politics, has benefited greatly from his willingness to engage in the country’s culture wars.
However, his ongoing feud with Disney, the state’s largest employer, has sparked concern among some Republicans.
“It showed a fundamental misunderstanding of the Republican primary process,” Mr. Ayres said.
“DeSantis’ job is to unite those who voted twice for Trump but are looking for an alternative, and you don’t do that by imitating Trump.”
In another setback for Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Trump gained a 13-point lead over his nearest rival in a Wall Street Journal poll released on Friday, leading 51% to 38%.
It’s a 27-point swing from December when Mr. DeSantis led among likely Republican primary voters by 14 points.
Too soon to write him off?
Some supporters caution against dismissing Mr. DeSantis too quickly, citing Mr. Trump’s ongoing legal liabilities.
“He’s very bright, very calculating – he’s got a good story to tell,” Mr. Ayres said, cautioning against dismissing the 44-year-old too quickly.
“You don’t accomplish what he did in Florida unless you have a lot of political talent.”
The Florida governor also has a significant financial advantage over many of his potential opponents.
Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis super PAC has raised $30 million, while the governor is estimated to have more than $80 million on hand.
Mr. DeSantis has gained some congressional support, with House representatives Chip Roy and Thomas Massie publicly supporting him.
Mr. Massie dismissed recent criticisms leveled at Mr. DeSantis, claiming that his constituents “don’t pay attention to the political chattering class.”
“They see a fighter in Governor DeSantis, who can put this country back on its feet with conservative principles,” he explained.
