In the intricate chess game that is American politics, a surprising gambit has unfolded. A Trump Super PAC, Make America Great Again Inc., has unleashed a new advertisement featuring leaked footage from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2018 gubernatorial debate prep.
The footage, first shared by ABC News, exposes DeSantis grappling with allegations of racism during his campaign preparations. Experienced Republican voters, well-versed in such controversy, will likely recognize these claims as baseless rhetoric.
What’s intriguing to GOP supporters, however, is President Trump’s strategic use of this leaked footage to differentiate himself from Governor DeSantis.
The ad highlights two main points intended to delineate this contrast.
Initially, it shines a spotlight on DeSantis’s record during 2016-18. As a third-term Florida congressman, DeSantis reportedly voted to reduce Social Security and Medicare, advocated for a 23% national sales tax, and voted against funding for Trump’s wall.
Furthermore, the ad features a clip from the leaked footage showing DeSantis addressing the question of differences between him and Trump. “Obviously there is because I, I mean, I voted contrary to him in the Congress,” DeSantis is seen stating.
The uphill battle for DeSantis lies in convincing the staunch Trump supporter base that he, the popular Florida governor, is an even more electable variant of their adored former president.
Trump, on the other hand, appears set on maintaining his MAGA base unity. Early signs suggest his strategy will be framing DeSantis as a ‘Swamp Creature,’ a puppet of a weak and corrupt party establishment.
Yet, another significant clip from the leaked footage, not included in the Trump ad, could pose a problem for DeSantis. In it, DeSantis, expressing mild frustration, discusses the need to tread lightly on the topic of differences between himself and Trump to avoid upsetting Trump’s voter base.
DeSantis’s candid attitude can be viewed as strategic planning or as subtle contempt for the voters he seeks to court, depending on the viewer’s perspective.
While Trump takes strategic risks in his campaign against a red-state governor whose policies, especially concerning wokeness and COVID-related restrictions, align with Republican sentiment, a larger question looms.
Does DeSantis’s candidacy herald a civil war within the Republican Party, between the establishment and its increasingly working-class base?
DeSantis, with his conservative and libertarian credentials, holds appeal for many Republican voters. These same voters are likely to forgive any perceived policy missteps, much like they’ve overlooked Trump’s controversial COVID-era policies.
However, to win over Trump voters, DeSantis cannot be seen as an insider candidate, a status which would align him with “The Swamp” – the political establishment disdained by Trump supporters.
In essence, DeSantis can’t afford the stigma of being the candidate of “The Swamp.” Nothing screams “Swamp Creature” more than veiled disdain for Trump’s loyal voter base.
