For months, political observers have wondered when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would officially toss his hat in the 2024 presidential ring.
That assumes, of course, DeSantis is poised to do so and doesn’t decide to bow out in the coming weeks.
A new report from NBC News indicates that DeSantis could be targeting mid-May for the launch of a 2024 presidential exploratory committee, but not a full-blown campaign:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to jump into the presidential fray as soon as mid-May, four GOP operatives familiar with the conversations told NBC News.
One of the sources emphasized that it would be an exploratory committee, with the official launch coming soon after.
Some of his backers are urging him to declare as early as May 11, to counter the creeping national narrative that former President Donald Trump is the overwhelming front-runner for the 2024 GOP nomination. Others in the governor’s orbit, however, have argued that that date would be too soon, according to two of those sources. All emphasized, however, that mid-May is the target.
DeSantis, long viewed as Trump’s strongest Republican challenger in 2024, has traveled far outside Florida in recent weeks to raise his profile. But some of DeSantis’ allies have started to question his readiness as his poll numbers have lagged and he has fell victim to a series of self-inflicted wounds.
An imminent launch would help alleviate the compounding anxiety among supporters over DeSantis taking too long to jump into the fray and risking missing his moment.
What’s unclear is whether the talk of a mid-May timeframe is coming direct from DeSantis’ people or from those around the Governor trying to push him closer to launch.
The “series of missteps” happening in recent weeks might be somewhat overblown since there appears to be an effort from various media circles to inflict damage on DeSantis before he officially enters the race. Still, there is no denying that Trump’s poll numbers have surged while DeSantis’ numbers have started wilting in the hot Florida sun.
If the idea is to launch an exploratory committee, a firm wink and nod to donors that DeSantis is serious, it would be expected that a formal campaign launch would be coming sometime in June or perhaps July at the latest, but it would seem June would be ideal.
Announcing anything in the summer months is often ignored as more people are on vacation, kids are out of school, and people are spending less time watching and reading the news.
In related a related note, according to the same NBC story, is it possible DeSantis’ fight with Disney is actually starting to alienate conservatives who feel the governor is going too far in attacking a private business?
Maybe, or at least some seem to think so:
On Wednesday, a DeSantis-appointed board voted to invalidate a Disney-friendly agreement, a move that prompted Walt Disney World to file a federal lawsuit accusing the DeSantis administration of engaging in “a targeted campaign of government relation.”
The vote has flummoxed even some of DeSantis’ closest Republican supporters, who say a focus on things like Walt Disney World are hurting him in the polls and with prospective supporters. Most notably, Trump has racked up endorsements from more than 50 members of Congress, including 11 from Florida’s delegation, to DeSantis’ three.
“Trump is fighting Democrats, DeSantis is fighting a mouse,” said a member of the Florida GOP’s state executive committee who supports DeSantis running for president. “Members of Congress and voters are choosing the fight they think is more important.”
DeSantis is taking a big gamble in pushing Disney to the point of filing a lawsuit challenging the state of Florida on civil rights grounds and alleging a targeted campaign of harassment. The continued push toward forcing Disney into compliance is taking what has initially been a winning issue for DeSantis and potentially turning it into a liability.
By all accounts, the month of May will shape up to be pivotal in demonstrating whether DeSantis is moving forward with a presidential campaign or whether he’s deciding to hold off until 2028.
