Zinger Key Points
- Ron DeSantis has emerged as the strongest competitor to Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential election.
- Whether the MAGA train even makes it out of the station this time around remains to be seen.
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Former President Donald Trump is expected to announce his bid for the 2024 presidential race.
Invites for the announcement, scheduled to take place at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday, Nov. 15, reportedly went out Thursday.
There has been a lot of speculation about a possible Trump run for president again, with the Trump-affiliated Digital World Acquisition Corp DWAC SPAC rising 66% on Monday when Trump first hinted at a run, but the former president will also have to compete with another strong candidate — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis, who was just reelected with a sweeping victory, has not publicly declared his intention to run for president in 2024. However, a number of Florida political consultants believe he may do so after state legislators convene for their annual legislative session, putting a DeSantis bid announcement on a May or June timeline.
There were also reports of DeSantis' supporters chanting "two more years" at a campaign party, underscoring his intention to remain as Governor until 2024 when the next U.S. Presidential election will take place.
Trump doesn't like that.
He’s urged DeSantis to not run for president in 2024 and threatened to reveal information about him if he does.
“If he did run, I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering. I know more about him than anybody other than perhaps his wife, who is really running his campaign,” Trump told a small group of reporters, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Trump's threats come as DeSantis is establishing himself as the Republican leader's most worthy opponent, leading his state with right-wing policies that are well-liked by the party's Trumpist base.
Also, Trump's preferred candidates did not perform as he had hoped in the 2022 midterm elections, which took place earlier this week.
As the results began to come in Tuesday, Nov. 8, the so-called "red wave" driven by Trump’s favorite candidates never materialized.
DeSantis Has The Edge
So, who's the favorite?
Online betting markets give DeSantis the edge to win the White House in 2024, overtaking Trump in the wake of Tuesday’s midterm elections.
DeSantis’s odds in the 2024 presidential race jumped to 28.5% on Thursday, while Trump’s dropped to 17.2%, according to Election Betting Odds.
Read next: Trump 'Furious' About Dr. Oz Loss, Blames Melania: Report
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