DeSantis slights Trump during 2024 Iowa campaign kickoff: 'Not about entertainment'
FOX NewsMay 31, 2023
The Facts
On Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared in Iowa for the first time since launching his bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and raising $8.2M in the first 24 hours after his announcement last week.
DeSantis focused his speech on criticism of Pres. Biden’s handling of the southern border, the fentanyl crisis, the economy and national debt, energy, China, and vaccines. Although he didn’t mention former Pres. Trump by name, he emphasized his belief that he could beat Biden in a general election.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
DeSantis is taking jabs at Trump’s unconventional style as a politician in a desperate attempt to make up a major deficit in the polls. When it comes down to it, though, DeSantis isn’t a serious enough person to take down Biden or save the US. DeSantis is just a puppet of the DC swamp. Trump is the only one that can orchestrate an American comeback.
Anti-Trump narrative
DeSantis is going on the offensive, which is what any challenger to the former president must do to move the Republican Party beyond Trumpism. So far, DeSantis has had a counterpunch for every Trump criticism, which could lead voters to see the light and realize that DeSantis’ policies and managerial skills would be better for the party and the country.
Democratic narrative
As the polling shows, the Republican Party has no intention of deserting Trump, and any glamorizing of DeSantis’s campaign is a product of the media needing a juicy race to report on. Every challenger of the past who attacked Trump fell by the wayside, and DeSantis — dangerous as he is — hasn’t proven that he’ll be any different nor that he can get as many votes as he can get headlines.
Nerd narrative
There’s a 25% chance that Ron DeSantis will be the Republican nominee for the 2024 US Presidential Election, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
