Zinger Key Points
- Trump and DeSantis are former allies who have now turned on one another with a war of words in the 2024 election race.
- After distancing himself in criticism over the 2020 election rigging claims, DeSantis may be directly taking on Trump.
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The 2024 presidential election could end up being a rematch of the 2020 presidential election that saw Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, once an ally of former President Trump and a defender of his legal issues in many instances, is among the numerous candidates attempting to prevent the rematch from occurring.
What Happened: The 2024 presidential election has seen a total of 10 Republican candidates that are vying for the GOP nomination to take on Biden, or whoever the Democratic Party’s candidate ends up being.
Trump has enjoyed a sizable lead in many polls, including a 43-point lead in the most recent Morning Consult poll among Republican voters. Even in the face of three indictments and federal charges, Trump's lead over his rivals has consistently remained substantial.
Despite the fact that issues such as federal charges are typically leveraged to assail a candidate, numerous Republican contenders have refrained from attacking Trump. Instead, they have directed their criticism at the federal government and the Biden administration in response to the indictments.
DeSantis is among the candidates who have criticized the federal government for the charges against Trump.
In a recent interview with NBC News, DeSantis may have started the offensive as he was pressed to answer several direct questions regarding the 2020 election and Trump’s notion that the election was stolen.
“Joe Biden’s the president,” DeSantis said in the interview, as reported by the New York Times.
DeSantis said that Trump lost the 2020 election. The comments go against what Trump has claimed for years and continues to assert.
“Of course he lost,” Desantis emphasized.
DeSantis went on to say that the claims of the 2020 election being rigged were “unsubstantiated.”
Why It’s Important: The direct answers to questions that DeSantis had previously skirted could create more tension between Trump and the Florida governor. The comments could also help DeSantis kick off a new phase of his campaign, initiating an offensive against Trump.
DeSantis has previously campaigned for several Republican candidates who have denied the 2020 election results, according to the New York Times.
The Florida governor is one of only a few Republican challengers who have now spoken out against Trump and his recent charges related to the 2020 election directly.
Of course, the remarks made by DeSantis could potentially backfire, leading to a further decline in his support among Republican voters.
DeSantis has hit new lows in support in the Morning Consult poll after being considered a frontrunner and potential Trump competitor for months.
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung issued a statement about DeSantis’ interview with NBC News.
“Ron DeSantis should really stop being Joe Biden’s biggest cheerleader,” Cheung said.
Republican presidential candidates Chris Christie and Mike Pence have also spoken out against Trump.
Pence has been the most vocal opponent when it comes to the 2020 election, as the former vice president has said he was directed by Trump to try and interfere with the election results. Pence is considered to be a key witness in the latest federal charges against the former president.
“The American people deserve to know that President Trump asked me to put him over my oath to the Constitution, but I kept my oath and I always will,” Pence told CNN. “And I’m running for president in part because I think anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.”
The comments from DeSantis will be closely monitored in new election polls and could become a hot topic if Trump attends a Republican primary debate to face the stage directly with candidates who have opposed his 2020 election claims.
Read Next: 2024 Election Betting Odds: Biden The Favorie, Ramaswamy And Kennedy Jr Surge Up List
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