Does Ron DeSantis have any chance of beating Trump in 2024?

Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, has not yet confirmed that he will be running for president in 2024; however, everyone expects he will make his announcement very soon. Many Republicans see DeSantis as the perfect Donald Trump replacement, but does he stand a chance?

Well, the latest poll of potential Republican primary voters indicates that if DeSantis does announce his candidacy, things will not be easy.

According to Newsweek, "A Morning Consult poll of 3,574 potential Republican primary voters showed Trump leading DeSantis in a hypothetical GOP primary race by 60 percent to 19, with no other Republican hitting double digits."

The poll was held from May 5th to 7th before news broke about the verdict on Trump in the E. Jean Carroll case. It is hard to believe that with all his legal issues, Donald Trump has actually managed to improve his polling numbers.

Regarding the recent polls, Donald Trump took the opportunity to take a hit at his potential future running mate, telling The Messenger, "Ron's not a winner because Ron without me wouldn't have won."

However, while many have heard the name Ron DeSantis, not everyone know all that much about who the Republican governor of Florida is and why his name continues to be talked about amongst the country's conservative voters.

As previously mentioned, Ron DeSantis has yet to confirm his interest in running for president in 2024, and at just 43 years old, time is on his side.

Nonetheless, both insiders and outsiders alike say that it seems clear that the Governor of Florida is laying the groundwork to run for president.

Republican strategist and author Rick Wilson told the Guardian, "DeSantis has been very carefully building out a presidential campaign for 2024 to primary Donald Trump..."

Wilson continued saying that DeSantis is "... raising money, building relationships, going out there and quietly whispering: ‘He’s crazy, I’m not, I’m younger, I’m smarter, I’m thinner, I’m better looking. I can deliver more for you than the crazy old orange guy.’”

Ron DeSantis was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1978 into a middle-class family. His mother worked as a nurse, and his father installed Nielsen TV rating boxes.

DeSantis had a typical childhood and did well in his Catholic school and at sports. In fact, in the early 90s, DeSantis' baseball team qualified for the Little World Series, and the youngster competed against teams worldwide.

Pictured DeSantis circa 1991

Photo: screenshot, YouTube, Tampa Bay Times

Ron went on to study history at Yale University and also was the captain of the prestigious school's baseball team.

Photo: Twitter@nextlevelbaseball

He then taught history at a Georgia high school and eventually began to study law at Harvard Law. For generations, this school has produced presidents, prosecutors, and Supreme Court justices. He graduated at the top of his class.

Politico reported that during his years at Harvard, Ron DeSantis began to make a name for himself in the Federalist Society, an influential network of conservative lawyers.

And although he did not develop a great interest in politics during those years, he did stand out for his commitment to his principles and ideals.

With his impressive credentials, DeSantis probably could have worked at some of the best law firms in the country. However, he chose to join the military, which sets him apart from Trump.

Photo: Twitter@govrondesantis

Ron ended up working as a Navy attorney, and newspapers such as HuffPost have reported that the politician said he was inspired to do so by Tom Cruise's character in A 'Few Good Men.'

Photo: Twitter@govrondesantis

While stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, DeSantis met his now-wife, a local television host named Casey Black. Later, he served at Guantánamo Bay, a setting DeSantis knew well from his favorite film, 'A Few Good Men.'

Photo: Instagram@flgovrondesantis

Later, Ron was posted to Iraq, where he advised soldiers on the rules of engagement (when to shoot, where to move). He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service, which is generally reserved for senior officers.

DeSantis finished his military service in 2010 and began to write a book in which he combined his love of the Founding Fathers and his disdain for the political philosophy of former President Barack Obama, whom he branded as a European leftist.

The book was titled 'Dreams from Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama' and published in 2011.

In 2012, he ran for election to represent a heavily Republican district near Jacksonville. Even though he was not that well known, DeSantis' university contacts came to the rescue, and he won with 38% of the vote.

Ron DeSantis held office as a congressman during both the Obama and the Trump presidencies, and over the course of five years, he demonstrated a profound coherence in his ideology.

DeSantis showed his dedication to fiscal conservatism and voted against aid for Democratic states in the northeast that had suffered the wrath of Hurricane Sandy.

DeSantis formed the Freedom Caucus in 2015, a group of ultraconservative lawmakers. During Trump's term, Ron became a champion of the former president, defending him in the investigations into the possibility that Trump received help with his campaign from the Russian government.

Perhaps Ron DeSantis' vehement defense of Trump was an attempt to get the attention of both Donald and his voter base.

Former employees of DeSantis have told the media that Ron was skilled at finding current hot-button issues that ended up getting him interviews on Fox News.

Photo: screenshot Fox News

Congressman DeSantis was not particularly popular in Washington, though. According to Politico, colleagues from Capitol Hill tended to describe him as "aloof."

Some say Ron was more concerned about being on television and earning Trump's respect - the keys to success for his next goal: to become the governor of Florida.

By 2018 DeSantis had fulfilled his goal and garnered an early endorsement from Trump in his run for the gubernatorial house. Ron made the most of it and won the primary election, thanks in large part to Trump's support.

Photo: FoxNews13

By becoming Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis went from being a relatively unknown to well know, full-on Trump devotee: unapologetic about his politics and picking fights with everyone from Disney to journalists to the "woke left."

In 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, DeSantis had no qualms relaxing restrictions for businesses and schools despite federal guidelines to the contrary. He also overruled local officials who wanted to preserve mask mandates.

In proper MAGA fashion, DeSantis had various conservative bills passed with the aid of Florida's Republican-controlled legislature.

Bills DeSantis has passed include: an election "police force" tasked with investigating alleged voter fraud, establishing new voting limits, a 15 week abortion ban, and the "don't say gay" law, which bans teachers from discussing gender identity with school children.

In addition, he usurped the redistricting process from Florida's state legislature. DeSantis vetoed the congressional map and instead introduced his own map, which eliminated two majority Black districts and delivered four additional seats to Republicans.

There are those who fear DeSantis could be more dangerous than Trump if he were to be elected as president: he is younger, more competent, efficient, and ruthless.

Nonetheless, the first nominating contest for the 2024 election is still months away, and a lot could change.

Trump supporters are still thriving and the most recent legal problems the former-president have faced seem to have only earned him even more followers. If DeSantis hopes to run and beat Donald Trump, he will have to work incredibly hard to achieve it.