Ukraine flap may signal DeSantis ‘growing pains’ ahead of likely 2024 campaign
Katherine Doyle
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Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) handling of a major foreign policy question has led to new scrutiny of the likely 2024 presidential candidate, leaving Republicans saying he will need to fine-tune his approach if he enters the race.
DeSantis, who has not announced for president, staked out a position on Russia‘s war in Ukraine in a candidate questionnaire for Fox News host Tucker Carlson that ignited a firestorm of criticism, followed by several clarification attempts by the normally surefooted governor.
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Some Republicans believe it speaks poorly of DeSantis’s readiness for a national campaign and read on the GOP primary electorate on Ukraine.
“If you truly are interested in running for president of the United States, you’ve got to get better at this,” said one veteran Republican campaign strategist who speaks to donors regularly, calling the fumble “bizarre.”
Others blamed people in DeSantis’s orbit for seizing on Carlson’s questions as an opportunity to lock the governor into their camp. Several presidential hopefuls declined to answer the questionnaire.
A spokesperson for DeSantis declined to comment.
After describing the Russia-Ukraine war as a “territorial dispute,” DeSantis sought in an interview with Piers Morgan to clarify his comment as referring to fighting in the eastern Donbas region and the 2014 capture of Crimea.
“I think it’s been mischaracterized,” DeSantis said when asked if he regretted using the phrase “territorial dispute” before calling President Vladimir Putin of Russia a “war criminal” who should be “held accountable” for the invasion.
For his effort, DeSantis was slammed as “weak” by former Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney and criticized by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Marco Rubio (R-FL).
Others have pointed to DeSantis’s record in Congress, where he supported sending lethal weapons to Ukraine after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and criticized the Obama administration for not doing so to question his current stance.
Responding to Republican criticism in a Newsmax interview, DeSantis swiped at an “establishment” he said is more interested in Ukraine’s border than its own and failing to address pressure from the war on U.S. weapons stockpiles.
It’s not just Republicans who have zeroed in on DeSantis’s Ukraine positioning. President Joe Biden’s allies also see an opportunity to drive a wedge between the governor and the broader electorate, a dynamic that highlights the challenge for the popular swing state governor as he looks to hone his vision ahead of an anticipated presidential run.
In a new Harvard-Harris poll, 51% of Republican voters said the United States was doing too little to counter Russia’s efforts in Ukraine. Asked whether the U.S. should back Ukraine until Russia’s battlefield defeat or until Moscow’s withdrawal of all invading forces from Ukrainian territory, 67% of respondents agreed.
Several GOP operatives dismissed the hiccup as the natural “growing pains” of a new candidate finding his footing on a fraught issue.
“He talks too much,” one GOP adviser said but added that the discussion would return to Ukraine, giving him new opportunities to get it right.
DeSantis has already claimed he could beat Biden in a presidential election. But before he can run against Biden, DeSantis must prevail against other competitors in the Republican 2024 presidential nominating contest, including former President Donald Trump, the front-runner in most polls.
Though Trump is expected to hold on to about one in three primary voters, polls show DeSantis, a favorite of Republicans in Washington, consolidating support in key early states.
In Iowa and New Hampshire, surveys by Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies and reported by Axios show DeSantis leading Trump by 8 percentage points in a head-to-head matchup in Iowa, 45% to 37%, and tied at 39% in New Hampshire. DeSantis and Trump were tied in Iowa in a field of competitors, and DeSantis fell behind by 12 percentage points in New Hampshire.
The GOP campaign strategist suggested DeSantis would need to find a way to handle outside advice if he is to become the Republican nominee, bursting past Trump and sidelining other rivals in the race.
“He has a lot of consultants in his ear,” this person said and blamed their influence and that of some donors. “He’s getting bits and pieces that are being beta tested by focus groups, inside of the base and elsewhere, and is also getting donor input.”
Erin Perrine, communications director at Never Back Down, a political action committee preparing the ground for a 2024 DeSantis campaign, defended the governor’s preparedness and said his ability to winnow the field is a testament to his reach.
“Gov. DeSantis isn’t even in the presidential race and has already made this a two-man race,” Perrine said in a statement. “His record of accomplishment in Florida is unimpeachable — the DeSantis agenda has fueled economic growth, fostered innovation, defended parents and their children’s education, and beat back woke attempts to bully Floridians.”
It’s a pitch she said offers Republicans their best shot in a general election.
“It’s clear DeSantis is the only person ready to take Biden to task on his record of chaos and failure,” Perrine said.
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DeSantis secured a landslide victory in a battleground during the 2022 midterm elections, including in Democratic Miami-Dade County, an outcome some Republicans see as a path to taking back the White House. But whether the governor can lock down enough support to dispatch Trump isn’t clear.
“Ron has a problem or many problems,” said the strategist. “His challenge is going to be the translation of his popularity with donors, consultant groups, and political powerhouses to the actual voter.”