Frenemies? Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis eye each other warily before 2024 presidential race
The prospect of a Trump-DeSantis presidential battle has been brewing for a while. DeSantis began generating presidential buzz as far back as February, after a rousing speech at a CPAC conference.
David JacksonWASHINGTON – The Republican Party's favorite political rivalry is simmering again... and potentially heading to a boil as 2024 approaches: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.
The former president and some of his allies have been taking shots at the Florida governor, a one-time Trump protege whom many now view as a potentially formidable rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
DeSantis and aides play down any friction with his famous Florida-based constituent and say the governor's focus is on his 2022 re-election bid later this year.
While Republican presidential primaries are still three years away, Trump easily leads very early polls of potential GOP voters; DeSantis is second in several surveys. But the friction between the two men suggests Republicans could find themselves someday deciding if Donald Trump is indeed the leader of the GOP - or if DeSantis is.
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