On Wednesday, May 24th, Florida governor Ron DeSantis officially launched his 2024 Presidential bid on Twitter. Joined by Twitter owner Elon Musk, the online event got off to a rocky start with a series of technical glitches and delays. Nevertheless, the long awaited announcement generated excitement throughout the United States as Republicans speculated about his presidential ambitions for months prior. DeSantis now enters the Republican primary as a front runner alongside Donald Trump, who has already begun extensive smear campaigns on the governor. Despite this, DeSantis decided to echo the former president’s MAGA sentiment during his announcement, by claiming that he is “running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback.”
DeSantis’ impressive track record and growing national profile makes him a formidable candidate in the 2024 election. An Italian-American with “blue collar roots,” DeSantis was a student at Yale and Harvard law school before going on to serve in the US navy. In the navy, DeSantis was initially stationed in Guantanamo Bay before being deployed in Iraq as a legal advisor to Seal Team One. DeSantis’ efforts led to him being awarded the Bronze Star Medal, which later helped start his political career with his election to the US House of Representatives in 2012. DeSantis has since served 3 terms in Congress before retiring in 2018 to run for governor.
DeSantis’ leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic as governor propelled him to national prominence. He received praise from conservatives for his ability to balance public health and the economy by implementing measures such as allowing businesses to reopen, prioritizing the continuation of essential services and supporting job growth. In addition to successfully mitigating the economic impact of the pandemic, DeSantis also pleased conservatives by signing legislation that prohibited vaccination mandates for employees in government and public education.
Overall, DeSantis's staunch conservative principles and commitment to combating liberal policies has made him a star within the Republican Party. His unapologetic approach and willingness to take on contentious issues have garnered him a dedicated base of supporters, which poses a serious threat to Trump’s presidential ambitions.
In characteristic fashion, Trump has responded to DeSantis’ popularity by insulting him. In speeches, Trump has repeatedly referred to him as “DeSanctimonous”, and has labeled DeSantis’ twitter campaign launch a “disaster.” Trump further released videos on his social media accounts likening DeSantis to Hitler and the devil itself, while also accusing him of being a “Trump imposter.”
The two men have a complicated relationship. Trump initially endorsed DeSantis in his run for governor in 2018, which helped him win the gubernatorial election. DeSantis returned the favor by embracing and championing many of Trump’s policies on issues such as immigration, gun laws and tax cuts. The two subsequently made numerous public appearances together, often attending each other’s rallies and speaking at each other’s events. Their relationship perhaps peaked during the pandemic when Trump praised DeSantis’ ability to resist strict lockdown measures. It was only when DeSantis started to be seen as a potential threat to Trump that their relationship began to crumble.
Trump is no stranger to controversy. His life is marked by a number of scandals, ranging from accusations of sexual misconduct to racial housing discrimination. His presidency began in the midst of rumours regarding Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, and later saw Trump face two impeachment proceedings for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump’s inappropriate behaviour as president culminated in the January 6th insurrection, where rioters stormed the capitol and caused widespread harm and damage.
Ever since leaving office, Trump has also been involved with extensive legal problems. He is under investigation for matters relating to the removal of government documents from the White House and for his incitement of insurrection on January 6th. He is also the first ever president to face criminal charges, which resulted from an alleged “hush money” scheme.
Despite these stains on his record, Trump’s 2024 campaign has been met with massive support from Republicans. According to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University, as of May 18th around 56% of Republicans stand with Trump, whereas only 25% stand with DeSantis. Since then, the gap between the two has only widened as Trump’s relentless attacks on DeSantis have riled up voters.
Altogether, DeSantis’ announcement has quickly heated up the Republican primary. Although there are a few other notable candidates running in the primary, namely Nikki Haley and Tim Scott, many believe that Trump and DeSantis are the only realistic contenders to win the nomination. What does this mean for America’s political landscape? It’s possible that in an effort to outdo each other, both men will start to adopt increasingly more conservative stances on issues. If so, a wave of extremism and radical politics may become more prevalent. For the sake of maintaining moderate principles and healthy public discourses, let’s hope that things remain relatively civil as the GOP look to reclaim the White House.
Bibliography:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/24/politics/ron-desantis-fec-filing-2024/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/24/ron-desantis-republican-president-candidate
-facts
https://www.flgov.com/2023/03/16/governor-ron-desantis-highlights-three-years-of-floridas-succ
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https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2021/11/florida-gov-ron-desantis-signs-bills-reg
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https://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-responds-to-ron-desantis-presidential-campaign-launch
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https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/donald-trump-scandals/474726/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56004916
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/politics/desantis-trump-polls-2024.htm
