Why Ron DeSantis might be causing Donald Trump some sleepless nights

The Florida governor is gaining some momentum when it comes to a possible presidential run, writes Chris Stevenson

Ron DeSantis is starting to gain some buzz, particularly in GOP circles (AP)

There have been a number of reports in recent days about Donald Trump pondering an early official announcement of a 2024 presidential run at some point in the next few weeks.

It would obviously not be a surprise. Trump is well up on any other potential Republican candidate in polling and he has been touting a run essentially since he left the White House. Being one of the only potential candidates doing rallies around the country and near-total name recognition also provide an important base for the former president to build from.

But it has been a bad week or two for Trump. Tuesday's bombshell testimony of former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson to the committee investigating the events at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 – which involved the suggestion Trump had thrown his lunch against the wall in anger – was not great for the former president.

An editorial by conservative newspaper the Washington Examiner called Trump “a disgrace” after Hutchinson's testimony, adding: “Republicans have far better options to lead the party in 2024. No one should think otherwise, much less support him, ever again.”

That might feed into the possibility that Trump would want to announce his candidacy before campaigning begins in earnest for the midterm elections in November, to try and stop any rivals gaining too much momentum. One person in particular, Ron DeSantis – who is running for re-election as Florida governor this year – is starting to gain some buzz, particularly in GOP circles.

Dan Eberhart, a prominent Republican donor, estimated to Reuters that three-quarters of roughly 150 fellow donors with whom he regularly interacts backed Trump six months ago, with a quarter going for DeSantis. Now, about two-thirds want DeSantis as the 2024 nominee.

“The donor class is ready for something new,” said Eberhart, who supports both politicians but believes DeSantis is the more exciting of the two when it comes to a general election. “And DeSantis feels more fresh and more calibrated than Trump. He’s easier to defend, he’s less likely to embarrass, and he’s got the momentum.”

He can certainly match Trump in the fundraising department, having raised more than $100m for his re-election campaign, attracting major donors and grassroots support. While DeSantis would not be able to use that money for any presidential bid, it shows the level of money he can bring in (Trump has a similar war chest at this time). DeSantis also brings the same “war on woke” that is one of the foundations of Trump’s platform, but is also able to show that while actually dealing with real legislation – as opposed to Trump’s complaints from the sidelines.

Trump has a significant lead in most polls of possible Republican presidential candidates, but DeSantis is the only one even close. In terms of closing the name-recognition gap, that could come after the midterms. DeSantis is not on Trump’s level yet – and will be wary of what normally happens to those who peak too early in the presidential cycle – but Trump’s team will clearly be watching him closely.