Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ stalled campaign has been hit by a triple threat — his perceived coldness, fundraising woes — and a resurgent Donald Trump.
While DeSantis is still widely hailed as an exceptionally capable lawmaker, his apparent inability to engage with voters on the campaign trail outside of Florida has some GOP bigwigs wondering if he has the glamor needed to win a presidential race.
Longtime Republican strategist Mike Murphy is among those who fear the Florida governor’s struggles with so-called “grip-and-grins” policies.
“There are questions in Republican circles about DeSantis’ candidate skills — can he make the transition from governor of a Republican state where you exist on people’s television screens to microscope of New Hampshire and Iowa?” Murphy told the New York Times .
And there are two other issues DeSantis faces.
The 44-year-old lawmaker is an exceptional fundraiser with a $110 million war chest.
But $80 million of that is tied to the Sunshine State and cannot be carried over to a presidential campaign. DeSantis has yet to announce his intentions, although it seems all but certain that he will.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has seen tremendous polling power following his arraignment over hush money allegations and subsequent indictment.
As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ponders a presidential campaign in 2024, his ability to raise money from wealthy donors is seen as one of his greatest strengths
DeSantis’ poll numbers appear to have plummeted against Trump in recent weeks, with 58 percent supporting Trump compared to just 21 percent supporting DeSantis
Trump, until recently seen as a follower, has charged his campaign with Manhattan Attorney Alvin Bragg’s indictment and is once again raising huge sums of money.
Many grassroots Republicans and independents have also been reminded of the former president’s sheer charisma and sloppiness, which even Democrats have to admit is to be reckoned with.
DeSantis has kept many donors at bay while touring the country.
His aloofness is said to have raised doubts among some senior Republicans about his ability to campaign nationally and engage in “grip-and-grin” flattery.
But DeSantis’ defense attorneys point to his competence as a lawmaker, saying the Florida governor has always placed hard work and getting results over networking.
When it comes to donations, he would be prohibited by law from channeling dollars raised by the State of Florida into a national presidential campaign.
Any attempt to transfer the money to a super PAC called Never Back Down would almost certainly raise alarms among the campaign finance watchdogs.
“Governor DeSantis isn’t even an announced candidate, and supporters from all 50 states have already stood up and donated to the Never Back Down movement. Should he decide to run for president, he will be a grassroots-driven force to be reckoned with,” said Super-PAC spokeswoman Erin Perrine.
DeSantis’ recent comments about Ukraine have also raised concern among Republican supporters, and his poll ratings have suffered as a result. A Portal/Ipsos poll found Trump’s support is nearly three times that of DeSantis.
“I think he’s had a shaky couple of weeks communicating with donors,” said Rob Stutzman, who worked for former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign.
“Donors who are desperate to get away from Mr. Trump might start imagining that — maybe that’s not the route,” he told the New York Times.
Trump has repeatedly taunted DeSantis by portraying the governor as a puppet of wealthy Republican elites
Trump seems to be enjoying playing his poll numbers against DeSantis and President Joe Biden
DeSantis’ poll numbers appear to have plummeted against Trump in recent weeks, with 58 percent supporting Trump compared to just 21 percent supporting DeSantis.
Last month, DeSantis called Russia’s war in Ukraine a “territorial dispute.”
He has since retracted the comments following criticism from a number of Republicans who expressed concern at such a derogatory description of the conflict.
However, his comments echoed many regular voters who are increasingly concerned about the $112 billion – and counting – the US has so far given Ukraine with bipartisan support.
The comments could show that DeSantis still has work to do when it comes to developing his political skills to make the transition from state governor to presidential nominee.
While Trump has officially been in the presidential race since November, DeSantis, his most high-profile competitor, has yet to officially announce a White House bid.
DeSantis won another term at the Florida governor’s mansion in November by a nearly 20-point margin in a state that has historically struggled between Democrats and Republicans.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is making his first trip to the preferred state of Iowa in March. It would be hard for him to use dollars raised in Florida for a national GOP campaign
Trump has repeatedly taunted DeSantis by portraying the governor as a puppet of wealthy Republican elites.
Such attacks by Trump show the political reality that no matter how much money DeSantis has, he still has to overcome the enthusiasm among supporters that the former president still has.
Trump’s appeal is so popular that after news of his indictment last week, his campaign announced it had managed to raise $12 million.
DeSantis must now also nurture relationships with multi-million dollar donors and fundraisers in Republican politics across the country.
Though it’s exceptionally early in the campaign cycle, DeSantis has opted for rallies rather than fundraiser dinners, which he sometimes feels uncomfortable attending.
While DeSantis’ nine-figure $110 million sounds impressive, a big fundraiser doesn’t always translate to victory.
Donors and strategists cite the examples of former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush as warnings.
Bush was an early frontrunner, raising more than $100 million before his 2016 run, only for his race to fail early.
There are still many months to go before the primary begins in early 2024, but DeSantis must make a decision before Trump walks away with the GOP nomination for a third time.