Are Trump and DeSantis Damaged Goods? – As the GOP primary heats up, the pressure on front runners Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis increases exponentially.
The media is intent on portraying both men as too damaged to compete against Joe Biden.
Attacks on ‘Damged’ Trump Persist
The liberal press is attacking Trump with a renewed vigor. Not that it ever really died down. Given its recent decline, the media needs Trump to bolster its views.
CNN is convinced Trump will go to jail for obstruction of justice charges connected to the former president’s handling of classified documents.
Feels like déjà vu. It’s hard to keep count of how many indictments Trump has evaded or overcome. The man has far surpassed a cat’s longevity.
It seems the more the press tries to portray him as the destroyer of democracy, the more support he receives.
Trump not only leads DeSantis for the GOP primary bid in the polls, he’s also pulled ahead of Biden in the general election polls, a notable shift from weeks prior that saw DeSantis as the only republican candidate able to defeat Biden.
At best, DeSantis ties Biden.
Damaged Ron DeSantis Down?
But DeSantis is still threatening to Biden. To counter, the left is pulling strategy from the same tired playbook and the results are almost laughable.
Exhibit A: The NAACP recently issued a travel warning to Florida claiming the state ‘has become hostile to Black Americans.’
The comments on Twitter in response are too numerous and priceless to post here, with many sarcastically commenting that maybe Chicago, New York or Seattle may be safer options for a summer jaunt.
The Disney duel doesn’t seem to be much of a dealbreaker. Many see it as a symbolic stance against a woke agenda that is infiltrating every aspect of life, from alcoholic beverages to children’s clothing. Even some Democrats support DeSantis’s moves.
Their attacks on DeSantis have been so weak, Politico felt the need to put out a silly hit piece on Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife, comparing her to Lady McBeth.
Damaged Goods Is All the Democrats Have On Trump and Ron
By decimating both of the likely candidates for the election in 2024, the DNC hopes to secure just enough voters for Biden to pull off a victory.
However, even as damaged goods, either Trump or DeSantis are still a better option than Biden.
The left knows their only viable candidate is not really that viable at all. He is old, fragile, and weak. His policies and administration have left the country in a similar position – fragile and weak.
They can’t win through persuasive arguments on policy issues. Biden nor the progressive agenda that has hijacked the once tolerable liberal left have good ideas for economic recovery or a plan to strengthen the country’s once formidable posture on the world stage.
Contrary to his promise to unite the country, Biden seems to be moving it backward.
The only tactic the left has left is to convince voters that Trump and DeSantis are just too terrible to tolerate.
That will not be as easy as some would like to believe.
The latest polling demonstrates just how bad Biden has bungled things. On average, only 23% of voters believe the country is headed in the right direction, with the lowest approval rating at a mere 12%.
Particularly when it comes to the economy.
With a recession looming, the basic needs of survival and cost of living will be foremost on Americans’ minds, not Trump’s personal indiscretions or DeSantis’s feud with Disney.
The Role of Media in Damage Narrative
An increasing distrust in mainstream media also contributes to Democrats downfall, considering most of these outlets tend to be more liberally biased.
More and more people are turning off cable news, including Fox since its decision to fire Tucker Carlson, and tuning into alternative news outlets found on Substack, podcasts and Rumble.
While some of these alternatives are extreme in their bias, many are portraying a more balanced perspective of each side’s more traditional political leaning. For example, Bill Maher, a classic liberal, often contests far left narratives around gender and COVID.
Concurrently, Tucker Carlson, the mascot for conservatives, has often expressed misgivings about support for the war in Ukraine, something that would typically be blasphemous for a right leaning voter.
He also actively questions COVD vaccinations, an idea rooted in what is traditionally seen as a “woo-woo” left leaning alternative take on health. This has united unlikely allies such as Carlson and dark horse democratic primary nominee, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Conservative thinkers are allowed to express themselves on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Liberal pundits accept invitations on Megyn Kelly’s show.
While the country appears to be more divided than ever, the dividing lines are becoming blurred. We’re witnessing a merger of typically fractured parties, united in the detestation of the political elite class and a rejection of common sense.
Essentially, everything the Biden administration represents. As bad as Trump or DeSantis may seem, it can always be worse. Joe Biden has proven it.
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Jennifer Galardi is the politics and culture editor for 19Fortyfive. She has a Master’s in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and produces and hosts the podcast Connection with conversations that address health, culture, politics, and policy. In a previous life, she wrote for publications in the health, fitness, and nutrition space. In addition, her pieces have been published in the Epoch Times and Pepperdine Policy Review. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
