Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to enter the 2024 White House race next week as he continues to fall further behind President Donald Trump in the race for the Republican nomination.
Here is the story from Fox News:
After months of buildup and speculation, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is expected to officially enter the 2024 White House race next week.
The popular two-term conservative governor will file formal paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) next week to declare his candidacy for president, sources familiar with the governor’s decision confirm to Fox News. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The filing by DeSantis will coincide with his meeting next week in Miami, Florida with top financial backers, one source told Fox Digital. By law, DeSantis cannot receive or ask for contributions for a presidential campaign unless he has formally declared his candidacy.
A formal campaign kick-off event will likely take place sometime after next week’s donor gathering, but no details have been shared by the campaign.
DeSantis’ entry into the presidential race comes at a time when his poll numbers have completely cratered. The latest GOP primary poll has Trump soaring to a 45-point lead over DeSantis with the rest of the field in single digits.
2024 GOP Primary: Trump holds 45-point lead over DeSantis
• Trump — 62% (+45)
• DeSantis — 17%
• Pence — 6%
• Haley — 5%
• Hutchinson — 3%
• Ramaswamy — 2%@Rasmussen_Poll | 996 LV | 05/14-15https://t.co/tbKuQ8kh3g pic.twitter.com/79VJxK9CjQ— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 17, 2023
DeSantis faces a major battle in terms of making up this massive deficit. While he has raised over $110 million, roughly $80 million is tied to Florida and cannot be used in a presidential campaign according to The Daily Mail.
Moreover, some of his largest donors are abandoning him due to disagreements over abortion, his battle with Disney. Others are getting questioning whether he is ready for primetime.
Many political analysts, Republicans, and Democrats have concluded because of these facts Trump’s GOP nomination is inevitable.
DeSantis still has some time to close the gap and potentially make the primary competitive. But the hill he will have to climb is incredibly steep.
This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit
