Another endorsement for DeSantis in 2024?
June has already been a positive month for Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis in relation to his prospects as a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election - not that he's yet declared himself in the running.
A report from June 30 may seem even more positive - it has been suggested that Ron DeSantis is growing in popularity amongst leading donors to the Republican party too.
Quoted in the report, a prominent Republican donor - Dan Eberhart - has suggested that there is a significant shift amongst donors with around 75% of donors now favoring DeSantis over Trump.
The reasons stated by Eberhart are many, but seem to center on DeSantis offering a fresh face for the party and being somewhat more predictable in what he does and says:
"The donor class is ready for something new, 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."
The rise of DeSantis as a presidential candidate
In late May, DeSantis topped Trump in a number of polls carried out amongst Republican voters, most notably one in Wisconsin that suggested he'd claim 38% of votes compared to just 32% for Trump.
In June, Elon Musk offered his informal endorsement of DeSantis for president, which DeSantis later acknowledged with the remark that he "welcomes support from African-Americans".
It also later came to light on Twitter that Governor DeSantis' tax filings suggested that he had a relatively low net worth. One commenter to the Tweet stated that this makes him more relatable and appealing as a presidential candidate than the "elderly millionaires" that voters have become used to seeing as presidential nominees from both parties.
DeSantis leads Trump as a fundraiser too
While Trump and DeSantis are currently fundraising for different purposes - DeSantis is more focused on his reelection as Florida's Governor in 2022 - it's notable that he's attracted more money into his campaign war-chest than Trump at this point.
DeSantis has averaged over $10 million in donations per month lately and had in excess of $124 million accumulated in June. Reuters report that Trump had just $100 million accumulated by his Save America political action committee as at the end of May.
If DeSantis were to continue to attract donations at this scale, and from Republicans in Florida and more widely across the U.S. then that too could signal that he's a more likely candidate for the White House than Trump.
Time will tell if all these signs end up with DeSantis as the GOP nominee for 2024.
Who would you favor as the Republican presidential nominee? Do you think DeSantis is a safer choice as a nominee or do you believe that Trump is good for another term? Let me know in the comments section below.
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