Trump intensifies criticism of DeSantis before presidential campaign.

Trump vs. DeSantis: The Battle for the GOP Presidential Nomination

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are the only two Republican presidential candidates with any real traction for the 2024 election. As DeSantis prepares to launch his campaign next week, Trump has taken to his social media platform, Truth Social, to attack him with denigrating nicknames.

A Brutal Showdown

DeSantis is expected to file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission next week ahead of a meeting with GOP donors in Miami. A more formal launch is expected in his hometown of Dunedin, Florida, after Memorial Day. This sets up what is likely to be a brutal showdown with the former president.

Trump is Not Fazed

Despite DeSantis challenging him for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump made it clear on Friday that he is not fazed. He posted on Truth Social, “After campaigning for five months, and going nowhere but down, it looks like Ron DeSanctimonious will soon be entering the race. He has ZERO chance, and MAGA will never forget!”

Proxy Battle

DeSantis and Trump have been in an increasingly heated proxy battle as the governor prepared to run for president. Both men have traveled to early nominating states to meet with GOP primary voters who could give them the momentum to crush their opponent’s campaign next year. Their affiliated super PACs have already gone up in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada, crucial early voting states, with multimillion ad buys championing their candidate and attacking the other.

Trump Ramps Up Attacks

Now, as DeSantis prepares to become an official candidate, Trump is seemingly ramping up his attacks against the governor. On Friday morning, Trump shared a video knocking DeSantis for needing Trump to endorse him in his first race for governor in 2018. “Ron DeSantis was struggling big time in his primary race for governor of Florida. Polls revealed DeSantis was failing so bad. He was losing by a staggering 17 points. Then DeSantis was saved by the endorsement of President Trump,” a voice-over said during the video before a clip showed DeSantis thanking Trump for the support.

DeSantis’ Chances

DeSantis declared he is the sole Republican candidate who can defeat President Joe Biden in 2024 to snatch back control of the White House during a phone call with GOP donors. However, he has seen his polling numbers decline after an onslaught from Trump and his allies. Trump is the undisputed GOP 2024 front-runner according to polling, leading all other challengers, including DeSantis, by double digits.

Conclusion

It remains to be seen if DeSantis will see an increase in polls once he is an official presidential candidate. The battle for the GOP presidential nomination is heating up, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.