In the wake of Ron Desantis’ record-breaking election victory vs. Charlie Crist, pundits and political leaders across the country are predicting a 2024 Presidential Campaign for Florida’s popular governor. In the wake of the election and poor performances from Trump-endorsed candidates, former President Trump has taken to Truth social to criticize DeSantis, but many Republican leaders are vocalizing their desire to move on from the Trump era.
With the nation speculating about the potential rivalry between the former friends, I asked Florida Political Campaign consultant John Dowless, Owner and CEO of Millennium Consulting. Dowless has worked with Republicans across the Sunshine State for three decades.
Q: Do you think DeSantis will refrain from replying to any attacks from Trump over the next few weeks and months?
A: “Yes, Governor DeSantis will refrain from engaging in any negative verbal exchanges. He doesn’t need to. His supporters, who are also America First voters, will come to his defense like they did about a week ago.”
Q: If you were advising DeSantis about a possible 2024 run, would you tell DeSantis to stay focused on running Florida the next few months as Trump has to navigate more legal issues and a possible DOJ indictment, or do you think DeSantis needs to strike while the iron is hot?
A: “Governor DeSantis will likely do both, comment on national affairs and visit other states while still running Florida.”
Trump is expected to announce his candidacy for 2024 on Monday, Nov. 16, but even some of his top advisers have urged him to postpone his announcement until after the Georgia Senate runoff, including former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Days prior to the 2022 Mid-Term Election,, Vanity Fair reported that GOP insiders were skeptical about DeSantis challenging Trump, but the tone seems to have changed only one week after the article was published. Voters will have to wait and see what happens in the weeks and months ahead.