Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla) sparks rumors again that a potential 2024 presidential announcement is on the way.
The Florida governor will reportedly host an “intimate dinner” with some of his top donors in attendance this weekend.
According to the Washington Post, this will be the first of many invite-only events hosted by DeSantis as speculation grows that he may be gearing up to take on former President Trump for the GOP nomination.
The invitation, however, does not mention a 2024 run, saying that the dinner is an opportunity to celebrate the governor's win with some of his "strongest supporters.”
Should DeSantis decide to run, Axios reported that he could pull out all the stops when it comes to throwing Trump under the bus regarding his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
DeSantis’ response to the Left’s fueled pandemic is more aligned with the GOP while Trump was quick to call for lockdowns early on.
Covid was also a huge factor in the Florida governor’s rise to political fame. The Left nor the Right can deny that he pulled an all-star move in keeping his state open.
“He'll certainly make the implicit contrast with Trump. Whether he makes an explicit contrast at some point depends on how the campaign plays out,” GOP strategist Alex Conant said.
Trump also appeared on television regularly with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is widely seen as an enemy by Republicans.
“Conservatives won't forgive him for pushing some of the more restrictive policies,” Conant said, while Brendan Buck, a former adviser to Paul Ryan said, “it's the shutting down the economy, and I think whether fair or not, he's associated with that era, and Ron DeSantis is one of the people who rejected that concept outright and got a lot of credit.”
Meanwhile, DeSantis is offering VIP access to his inauguration on January 3— which comes with a hefty price tag.
Big fans of the governors can pay anywhere between $50k to $1 million to be upfront and center.