Some Conservative Influencers Rally Behind DeSantis Following Florida Success, Others Call for a Joint Fight

(L-R) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Former President Donald Trump (Giorgio Viera/Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

Despite former President Donald Trump’s much-hinted 2024 run, some conservative influencers on Twitter are rallying behind another possible candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in the wake of his landslide Tuesday win for re-election.

“We need a Republican overhaul,” said political strategist Caleb Hull in a Wednesday Twitter post, taking a jab at the former president for losses by some of the candidates he endorsed.

Many see the November elections as a litmus test of the 45th president’s influence in the party and among conservative voters.

Yet a predicted “red wave” of Republican victories in the midterm elections winded up with modest gains on Tuesday.

Nationwide, Republican candidates J.D. Vance and Ted Budd won Senate seats in Ohio and North Carolina, although only by single-digit margins. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) barely defended his seat while Dr. Mehmet Oz lost in Pennsylvania. In other major races in Arizona and Nevada results remain unclear.

So far, 219 Trump-endorsed GOP candidates have won over their Democrat opponents in the general election, while 16 lost.

DeSantis Victory

Rising GOP star DeSantis cruised to an easy reelection by securing a 59-to-40 landslide victory over his Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist, along with a clear majority among Latino voters.

“An election where Oz and [Herschel] Walker narrowly lose and where DeSantis romps by 20 points is the worst possible night for Trump and the best possible night for DeSantis,” Republican pollster Patrick Ruffini said on Nov. 8, while many believe the massive victory in Florida builds DeSantis the case for a 2024 presidential run.

Some decided to push against the division, noting Trump should take credit for the resounding success in Florida.

“There would be no DeSantis without President Trump,” tweeted Sebastian Gorka, nationally syndicated radio host of America First and former deputy assistant to Trump, referencing the then-president’s endorsement that DeSantis rode to victory with over Democratic challenger Andrew Gillum in 2018.

Conservative filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza also took to Twitter to refute the narrative undermining Trump’s viability in 2024.

“The media is drawing a false contrast between DeSantis on one hand and Trump and #MAGA on the other. DeSantis rose with Trump’s backing by embracing MAGA,” he said.

“Both men have great strengths—and some obvious weaknesses—and both terrify the Left. They may be strongest working together!” D'Souza wrote in a tweet on Wednesday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives two thumbs up toward then-U.S. President Donald Trump after he asked him how it was going in the state as he speaks during his campaign event at The Villages Polo Club in The Villages, Florida on Oct. 23, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Tensions

On the eve of the final voting day, Trump promised a “big announcement“ on Nov. 15, hinting at formally announcing his anticipated 2024 presidential bid. Yet betting markets now tip the 2024 race in DeSantis’ favor past Trump.

Over the past year, there has been growing speculation that DeSantis may run for president in 2024, though some analysts argued he might sit out the race if Trump runs. The midterm results may mix up those calculations.

Two of the sites that Election Betting Odds uses: Betfair and Smarkets, gave the Florida governor the edge to win the White House in 2024 at nearly 29 percent on Thursday, leading Trump over 10 points.

The Florida governor overtook Trump “because DeSantis just won a swing state with a crazy 20 percent margin. For comparison, he won his race in 2018 by just 0.4 percent,” Maxim Lott, co-founder of the website Election Betting Odds, wrote on Twitter.

Trump attacked his potential party rival last week, calling him “Ron DeSanctimonious” during remarks at a rally in Pennsylvania. In a Monday interview with Fox News, he said DeSantis “could hurt himself very badly” if he runs but denied “a tiff” between the two. Trump told reporters Tuesday in Florida that he voted for DeSantis.

The Florida governor did not respond to Trump’s comments and has refrained from criticizing the former president in the past. DeSantis has yet to say whether he will run for president in 2024.