Here’s Why DeSantis Says Trump Is Trouncing Him In The Polls

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cruised to an easy re-election victory last year, some Republicans thought he’d have a decent shot of capturing the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.

But Donald Trump remains the runaway favorite at this point in the primary race, and DeSantis has recently trotted out an excuse for his poor performance.

According to the Washington Times:

Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday attributed Donald Trump‘s dominance in the polls to voters’ sympathy over the former president’s criminal cases in New York and Florida.

“At the end of the day, the [Manhattan District Attorney Alvin] Bragg indictment just elevated him,” Mr. DeSantis said on Fox News’ “MediaBuzz.” “I think a lot of people, including me, believe that it was a miscarriage of justice.”

The White House hopeful continued: “I think there was a lot of sympathy. But then, I think just dominating the media coverage.”

Of course, DeSantis’ failure to gain traction thus far in the campaign has been the subject of significant social media speculation in recent weeks.

DeSantis has gone on a spending binge, burning through 10s of millions of dollars in a matter of weeks & has actually LOST ground in the polls.

Incredible.

— Pro Swing Trading 📈😎🇺🇸 (@Pro__Trading) July 17, 2023

WOW.

Destablishment burnt through millions of dollars to go nowhere in the polls and now has less cash on hand than Tim Scott

The oligarchs that once saw Desantis as their means of reclaiming control on Republican politics now see him as a failed investment pic.twitter.com/Umz1slRRgA

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) July 17, 2023

RCP GOP Primary average: DeSantis slips under 20% for first time since mid-May

Trump — 53.8% (+34.1)
DeSantis — 19.7%
Pence — 6%
Ramaswamy — 4.5%
Haley — 3.3%
Scott — 3%
Christie — 2.5%
Hutchinson — 1%
Burgum — 0.2%https://t.co/FWREXz3fi4 pic.twitter.com/f018eg8K9M

— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) July 17, 2023

Team DeSantis is burning through their globalist donors’ cash WHILE sinking in the polls 💸📉

Recipe for DeSaster! pic.twitter.com/gtl7p8bANH

— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) July 17, 2023

BREAKING: Donald Trump wins Turning Point USA straw poll with 85 percent

Vivek Ramaswamy comes in first for second choice, polls ahead of Gov. Ron DeSantis pic.twitter.com/XImGJGGPim

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 16, 2023

The Florida governor’s missteps do not, however, negate the possible positive impact that Trump’s legal issues might be having on his campaign.

Trump has repeatedly asserted that his indictments are just the latest effort by political foes to tank his re-election bid.

As The Hill reported last month:

Former President Trump called the indictments he’s received in two separate probes a “great badge of courage” on Saturday during a Faith and Freedom Coalition event.

“Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxist, communists and fascists indict me, I consider it a great badge of courage,” said Trump, who spoke to a crowd at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to Majority Policy Conference.

“I’m being indicted for you, and I believe the you is more than 200 million people that love our country,” he added.

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Here’s a clip from that speech: