Karl Rove: How Trump’s constant stream of attacks on DeSantis could backfire
Rachel Schilke
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Former President Donald Trump’s unrelenting attacks on his top rival could be doing more harm than good.
Former President George W. Bush aide Karl Rove said he believes Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) may benefit from the mudslinging heading into the 2024 election. The governor’s legislative successes and appeal to other states have shown he has a growing coalition of supporters that could turn into a wave next November.
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DeSantis, who is reportedly set to announce his candidacy for president next week, has been subjected to taunts, name-calling, and disparaging words from Trump about DeSantis’s role as governor and his ability to rally the Republican Party in 2024. DeSantis is considered Trump’s top opponent to beat should he enter the presidential race.
However, Rove said that Trump’s tactics to “destroy or cripple the main competition” may backfire on him.
Rove said that while Trump has touted his ability to grow the party and motivate people to vote, he has spent much of his energy bashing “Ron DeSanctimonious” as only an “average governor” who needs a “personality transplant” and has driven Florida to a place of “misery and despair.”
“Republicans … recognize Florida is doing really well, adding jobs and drawing new residents,” Rove wrote in an op-ed to the Wall Street Journal. “Many wonder: If Mr. DeSantis is so bad, how was he re-elected by nearly 20 points in a difficult year for Republicans and able to advance successful policy?”
The Florida governor is setting up an early battle in his and Trump’s home state as 99 Florida state GOP legislators have endorsed DeSantis for president. The lawmakers’ endorsements do not come as a surprise after the legislature has spent much of its session catering to DeSantis’s agenda and modifying laws to allow him to run for president without being forced to give up the governorship.
DeSantis’s several legislative wins this session include a six-week abortion ban, restrictions on LGBT and critical race theory topics in education, and cracking down on illegal immigration in Florida. Since then, he has spent time traveling to many states, including Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania — some key battleground states heading into 2024.
“Mr. Trump would have been better off using that time to boost his own profile by offering a forward-looking agenda,” Rove wrote. “But apparently that’s the last thing he wants to do.”
Even when Trump does decide to take a stance on an issue, it is usually tied to what he would do differently than DeSantis. On Tuesday, Trump critiqued Florida’s abortion ban, stating that even anti-abortion activists found it to be too harsh. However, DeSantis was quick to defend the new law, drawing comparisons to similar laws in conservative-led states.
“I signed the bill. I was proud to do it. He won’t answer whether he would’ve signed it or not,” DeSantis said of Trump.
Rove also pointed to Trump’s boasting when it comes to early polling numbers, saying he may be celebrating a victory prematurely. A Morning Consult poll released this week showed Trump holding a 61% lead, with DeSantis trailing at 18%.
The former Bush aide wrote that Trump’s emphasis on his polling numbers could “be an attempt to make voters think a Trump nomination is inevitable.”
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“If the GOP primary numbers tighten — as they likely will as Republicans learn more about the field — the former president’s preoccupation with polls could make even a slight decline problematic,” Rove wrote.
“Most voters have seen a primary or two and know the early poll leader often doesn’t win. They want to back a real winner, the person they believe — usually after lengthy consideration — has what it takes to defeat the Democrats and get things done in office,” Rove continued. “That’s where Mr. DeSantis’s record and focus on the future may make the difference.”