In the 2024 White House race, Republican presidential rivals Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis appeared together for the first time. Despite facing fresh criminal charges, Trump took the opportunity to criticize DeSantis, his closest rival for the Republican nomination. Referring to DeSantis mockingly as “DeSanctus” among other nicknames, Trump warned the Iowa Republicans not to take a chance on the Florida governor.
While DeSantis was initially seen as a significant threat to Trump’s candidacy, his campaign has been losing momentum in recent weeks. During the Republican Lincoln Day dinner in Des Moines, where both candidates and 11 other hopefuls spoke to a crowd of 1,200 attendees, DeSantis chose not to target Trump.
Only one candidate, former Texas congressman Will Hurd, dared to challenge Trump, stating that “Donald Trump is running to stay out of prison.” However, Hurd faced disapproval and was booed by the audience.
Despite facing multiple criminal charges this year, Trump’s popularity among Republican voters keeps growing, and he maintains a dominant lead in the nomination race. He argues that he is a victim of a Justice Department conspiracy, which resonates with his supporters.
For DeSantis and the other rivals, the challenge lies in countering a frontrunner under legal scrutiny. DeSantis has refrained from attacking Trump over the indictments to avoid alienating the Republican base. Pollsters warn that time is running out for DeSantis and others to halt Trump’s momentum, as his lead over DeSantis remains at around 30%, while other Republican hopefuls are still polling in single digits.