Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida and a prospective Republican candidate for the US presidency, did not have the most auspicious start to his campaign. A programme hosted by Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces, featuring DeSantis, was riddled with technical glitches — sound issues, people being unable to log in, etc. Trump, of course, took to Truth Social to ridicule DeSantis and the event. But the glitch notwithstanding, DeSantis is currently the most credible challenger to Trump for the nomination. The question, though, is how different he is from Trump and Trumpism.
DeSantis, once an avid supporter of the former president, has gradually distanced himself from some of the more contentious aspects of Trump’s politics. For example, he has not denied the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election nor has he openly celebrated the January 2021 Capitol riots. And while he did not attack Trump directly at the Twitter event, DeSantis took a barely disguised swipe at the former: “Government is not about entertainment, not about building a brand,” he said. Initially, DeSantis rose to national prominence in the US as a result of his Covid policies — he refused to abide by many of the restrictions and advisories recommended by Washington. The image he is seeking to cultivate is one of “common sense” and efficient governance. In addition, he might be banking on the fact that the more traditional and socially conservative Republicans might be irked by scandals like the Stormy Daniels pay-off episode.
Despite the differences, it would be a mistake to think of DeSantis as diametrically opposed to Trump. In Florida, his focus has been on divisive, “hot button” issues that have become the hallmark of the most illiberal tendencies in his party — transgender rights and critical race theory, for example. He has also pushed legislation that severely restricts women’s bodily autonomy and right to abortion. DeSantis may appear — or perhaps is — less boorish than his rival. But on fundamental issues, he is not all that different.
