The bravado of the Donald Trump Campaign in the wake of what should have been the devastating dual indictments (with a third on the way) that the forty-fifth president was subjected to, one for his alleged hush money payments to the pornographic film star, Stormy Daniels, and another for potentially having mishandled classified documents, is being proven to have been false.
You see, despite the Trump Campaign’s claims that they’re “jacked up” to fight the “totally false” (and certainly politically motivated) indictments, the indictments are having a negative effect on Trump’s Campaign. The indictments are causing voters to doubt the former president.
Enter the only real challenger for Trump. Both for the GOP presidential nomination as well as for the leadership role of the MAGA constituency within the Republican Party, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis.
According to a recent Emerson College National Poll, Florida’s popular governor is making significant gains against his controversial presidential rival, Donald Trump.
The former president has dropped three points from the last Emerson poll conducted in April whereas DeSantis has increased his standing by five points since the April Emerson poll.
Ronna McDaniel Needs to Ban All Candidates Except Donald Trump and DeSantis
Of course, Donald Trump continues leading the crowded GOP field, with 59 percent of Republican voter support. The next highest is DeSantis, with 21 percent support.
It’d be nice, though, if these other selfish candidates with single-digit polling would either get out of the race or if RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and the RNC acted like actual party leaders and banned all but two candidates from running.
The Republican Party’s voters deserve a real race in 2024 to determine both the future of their ailing party and, quite possibly, the future of the country (should their nominee become the forty-seventh president).
Having so many candidates, they are bleeding DeSantis of likely supporters, wasting time and money that should go to the top two candidates—Trump and DeSantis—to give Republican voters an interesting and real primary as opposed to one of, in the words of Stephen K. Bannon, two heavyweights versus a band of Keebler Elves.
After all, the presence of so many candidates only helps Donald Trump. Just as in 2016, Trump is benefiting from such a divided party because he brings with him a largely loyal “MAGA” voting bloc that will ride or die with him unless he’s not on the ballot.
The support for DeSantis is more widespread among conservatives but is now being eaten up by the Keebler Elves.
Alas, the RNC will not exercise its power to dictate the rules of their debates. So, we will all be made to endure an endless cycle of political whack-a-mole in which the Keebler Elves are unable to get above their single-digit support but refuse to leave the field, angling for a better job and higher national profile in a future Republican administration.
The whole thing is tiring.
The only candidates who matter are Trump and DeSantis; they’re the only two who stand a chance at getting the nomination in 2024.
DeSantis Rising
Even with the Keebler Elves in the race, DeSantis is still gaining on Trump nationally. In key state matchups, DeSantis and Trump are in a “virtual tie.” Expect DeSantis to close that gap—especially since there is still so much time between now and the actual primary vote.
Yes, Trump garners sympathy in the aftermath of each indictment (with another still on the way for his alleged role in election interference in the 2020 Georgia recount).
Yet, there is at least an 80-20 split (still favoring Trump) among likely Republican voters indicating dissatisfaction with the smaller group over Trump’s growing legal woes. And having a party that is split on the leading candidate does not bode well for the future.
Beyond the GOP Primary, the Trump Campaign has failed to account for the fact that most independent voters dislike Donald Trump.
The spate of indictments that Trump has endured, however politically motivated they may be—and they are—has only hurt Trump even more in the eyes of most independent voters.
So, should Trump manage to win what will be a bruising primary against a very successful and popular Florida governor, he will face an increasingly skeptical general electorate that is unlikely to give him the benefit of the doubt as they did in 2016.
Looking at the GOP primary, though, don’t buy the false bravado of the Trump Campaign. They are gravely concerned about DeSantis’ seemingly inexorable rise.
Donald Trump and His Dumb Actions Could Be His Undoing
The indictments, despite giving the Trump Campaign a temporary boost, will serve to weaken Trump’s standing with voters as time progresses. It is my firm belief that Trump has plateaued in terms of his support and sympathy with voters whereas DeSantis’ support is only growing.
A 19FortyFive Senior Editor, Brandon J. Weichert is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, as well as at American Greatness and the Asia Times. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower (Republic Book Publishers), Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life (Encounter Books), and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy (July 23). Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
From 19FortyFive
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