Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is supposed to be the GOP’s hope to stop Trump in 2024, but he ventured to Staten Island, NY where he drew a crowd of dozens of white men.
The high-end estimate of the crowd size for DeSantis is 100 people, but see for yourself:
*dozens* showed up today to support Ron DeSantis at his first 2024 campaign stop/Wall St. funded Book Tour.
How will @realDonaldTrump and MAGA stop this enthusiasm/momentum? ??
Video: @GavinWax pic.twitter.com/XkzwFxln7A
— Alex Bruesewitz ?? (@alexbruesewitz) February 20, 2023
DeSantis came to Staten Island to sell himself as the 2024 candidate who is tough on crime.
According to The New York Times, DeSantis requested the stop on Staten Island, “New York, where Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, has also criticized left-leaning Democrats, was the first stop on Mr. DeSantis’s tour, and the governor’s appearance was arranged at Mr. DeSantis’s behest, according to people familiar with the details. He was expected to visit Fort Washington, a Philadelphia suburb, and Elmhurst, Ill., near Chicago, later on, Monday.”
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Staten Island is a Republican stronghold so one would expect more than several dozen old white guys would show up for the much-hyped governor of Florida.
Ron DeSantis has as much charisma as soggy cereal. The big test for him as a potential 2024 presidential candidate is how will his MAGA me too positioning play outside of Florida.
Trump is the national brand of the Republican Party, so if the anti-Trump 2024 money is going to get behind a candidate, they need someone who can excite a GOP crowd, and move the Republican primary electorate away from Trump.
From the looks of the event on Staten Island, that person might not be Ron DeSantis.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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