Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election by a whopping 19 points, a historic margin in a longtime swing state.
Naturally, some of the governor’s campaign staffers want to try their luck on the national stage.
Two Republicans, claiming inside knowledge, told The Washington Post Saturday that some DeSantis advisers are preparing for a presidential run.
More specifically, the two Republicans told Post about key meetings and staffing decisions.
One of them said that the governor’s circle is already tapping people in early-voting states, like Iowa and New Hampshire.
This source also stated that key members of the governor’s re-election campaign are leading these talks about 2024.
It remains unclear whether the governor himself is playing an active role in these meetings.
DeSantis, a former U.S. representative, has remained tight-lipped about any plans for a return to Washington. For example, his office declined the Post‘s requests for comment. Instead, he prefers to speak about his goals and accomplishments in Florida.
Recently, DeSantis has been speaking about the opportunities afforded by Republican supermajorities in the newly elected legislature. For that reason, he’s expected to wait until the end of the legislative session before announcing any plans for 2024 (The Florida legislature, a part-time operation, is set to adjourn on May 7 for the rest of the year.)
As of now, only one person, former President Donald Trump, has announced his candidacy for president. President Joe Biden intends to run, but he has yet to file.
Trump hit the campaign trail on Saturday for the first time since announcing his campaign two months ago.
“Together we will complete the unfinished business of making America great again,” Trump said at an evening event in Columbia, South Carolina, to introduce his leadership team.
By announcing a campaign, DeSantis would put himself in competition with Trump.
Trump himself appears to be criticizing DeSantis pre-emptively. The former president has nicknamed him “Ron DeSanctimonious,” a knock at the governor’s humorless demeanor.
“The Fake News Media was good yesterday in their coverage of my stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Other than The Globalist Street Journal, which is rarely accurate or good, they said the day was really ‘amazing,'” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The enthusiasm to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN has never been stronger. The revelations about Ron DeSanctimonious doing FAR WORSE than many other Republican governors, including that he unapologetically shut down Florida and its beaches, was interesting, indeed. DJT leading BIG!!!”
The liberal media have characterized the remark as part of a feud between Trump and DeSantis. Other commentators have characterized it as a normal part of the primary process.
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.