DeSantis Is in a Tough Spot

“It’s a really tough situation for DeSantis. If he starts punching at Trump, he’s going to anger a lot of the people he needs to vote for him. But if you are viewed as weak and cower in response to attacks from Trump, that will be seen as a proxy for how you will be seen as a Republican nominee and how you’ll be as president.”

— — Democratic strategist Tommy Vietor, quoted by the New York Times.

More Republicans Prefer DeSantis Over Trump

42% to 35%

A new YouGov poll conducted after the midterm elections finds more Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents now say they’d prefer Ron DeSantis as their 2024 presidential nominee over Donald Trump, 42% to 35%. That’s a reversal from nearly a month ago, when a Yahoo News/YouGov poll found just 35% preferred DeSantis and 45% said they preferred Trump.

DeSantis Offers His Own ‘Total Bunk’ on Rift with Trump

“Donald Trump’s a friend of mine. He is proud when people do well, and it’s not just me, but obviously he’s a Florida resident, and he appreciates the job that we’ve done. He’s told me that many times, not only with helping with the election, but just how we govern the state.”

— Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) told Fox News that reports that his relationship with former President Trump has become frayed are “total bunk.”