The Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election will be either former President Donald Trump, 76, or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 44, according to analysts.
The first is considered the favorite today, according to opinion polls. The second, who has yet to announce his bid, but appears to be already campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire—the first two states to vote Republican—is seen as a major challenger to the former. The two men have huge war chests and have already started attacking each other.
DeSantis slips
Their mano mano takes up most of the media coverage devoted to this election, leaving very little room for other candidates.
However, missteps by DeSantis intimidated some major Republican donors, clearing the way for a potential third nominee.
First, DeSantis stumbled on Russia’s war in Ukraine, which frustrated the Republican establishment, including Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Sudan), who support Kiev against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The potential Republican challenger is trying to balance not alienating Trump fans while appealing to moderate voters. But this has proven to be very difficult, as in recent months he has launched into a culture war that could haunt him during the general election.
Last year, he signed into law a state law, known as the Don’t Say Like Me Act, banning kindergarten-to-third-grade public school classes from teaching about sexual orientation and gender. It has been suggested that this ban be extended to all levels of school age.
In addition, he pushed through a new Florida law that bans abortions in the state after six weeks of pregnancy. (Most women don’t know they’re pregnant at that point.)
He is also involved in an acrimonious dispute with Walt Disney, one of the largest employers in his home state of Florida, which worries the business community.
The upshot of all this was billionaire Steve Schwarzman, co-founder and CEO of private equity firm Titan Blackstone (BX) – Get a free reportand Thomas Petrify, Chairman, Interactive Brokers (IBKR) – Get a free report, they decided to withhold their support within the Republican field. Peterffy went so far as to say that he and his friends would cease their financial support of DeSantis. The reason is that they condemn his “extremist positions on social issues”.
“great statement”
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla (TSLA) – Get a free reportAnd the founder of SpaceX promised him last year to allocate between $ 20 million and $ 25 million to support his candidate. Last year, he said he was leaning toward DeSantis.
“Trump will be 82 at the end of his term, which is too old for him to become CEO of anything, let alone the United States of America,” Musk said last July. “If DeSantis runs against Biden in 2024, DeSantis wins easily — he doesn’t even need to campaign.”
In this context, the billionaire has just praised a new candidate for the Republican nomination, Senator Tim Scott (R-South Sudan), the only black senator in the Republican camp, who announced his candidacy for the presidency in a video on May 19.
“Today’s kids are growing up, immersed in a culture where everyone is a victim,” Scott says in the 30-second video. “We have to start teaching the necessity of individual responsibility.”
The Republican presidential candidate continued, “If you’re able-bodied, you work; if you take out a loan you pay back; if you commit a violent crime, you go to jail.”
The letter delighted Musk, who in recent months has become a champion of conservatives.
“Awesome statement from @votetimscott!” Musk commented.
But Musk refrained from announcing his support for the senator. But his comment sparked many positive comments from most of his millions of fans on Twitter.
“I like Senator Scott so much. I’d love to see him and DeSantis as a ticket to the Republican Party. We can finally get back to the traditional conservatives with family value. Anyway, I’d like to see any of them at the top of the ticket,” one Twitter user commented.
Another Twitter user clapped, using Scott’s words: “Body strong…you work. May I have an amen.”
Do you support his candidacy for the presidency? Another user asked Musk, who did not respond.
In addition to financial power, the billionaire has a lot of influence that is likely to boost the candidate he will support. Musk has 140 million followers on Twitter and his statements are receiving unprecedented media coverage.
Musk has yet to say which candidate he intends to officially support.
Scott is credited with 2% of his party’s primary voting intentions. The 57-year-old evangelical Christian, who puts his faith at the center of his political work and holds conservative values on abortion or individual responsibility, intends to differentiate himself from Trump, the favorite in the Republican primary, with optimism. message.
Besides Scott, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley is also a candidate. Former Vice President Mike Pence is also planning to run.