Trump and DeSantis show what a possible showdown could look like in 2024

(CNN) – In a preview of a possible confrontation in the Republican presidential primary, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis will hold demonstrations in Florida this Sunday as they fight for supremacy in the Sunshine State and heart of the Republican Party.

The former president will welcome supporters to Miami, the third stop on a four-city tour that made Trump a leading player in his party’s struggle for control of Congress. Meanwhile, the governor of Florida will be the star of his events in three counties on the opposite coast of the state: Hillsborough, Sarasota and Lee, walking away from Trump as he tries to win his bid for a second term.

For the past two years, Trump and DeSantis have been living together on opposite ends of Florida: Trump has been planning his next move from his Mar-a-Lago estate to Palm Beach, and DeSantis has become a household name from the state capital of Tallahassee. But as these mid-term elections draw to a close and a decision on their political future looms, even on a 450-mile long peninsula it has become increasingly difficult for the two to avoid each other.

“We have two very stubborn politicians who are at the forefront of the Republican Party,” said a Republican official who asked not to be identified. “They both grab attention, but they both have their own political operations and that’s what you’re seeing. It’s hard to talk about “.

The long-running rivalry was made public in the last few weeks leading up to election day. In a rally in Pennsylvania this Saturday, Trump directly attacked DeSantis and baptized the governor with a new nickname, declaring himself the favorite in a hypothetical Republican primary.

“There he is, Trump at 71 (%), Ron DeSanctimonious at 10%,” Trump told the crowd as he read the alleged poll numbers from a screen.

DeSantis recently backed Republican businessman and Colorado Senate candidate Joe O’Dea, as O’Dea promised in October to “campaign actively” against Trump.

“A BIG MISTAKE!” Trump wrote in response on his Truth Social platform.

Trump went on to share a clip from former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, predicting Republican voters would remain firmly in Trump’s camp if DeSantis decided to challenge the former president in a Republican presidential primary. CNN reported Friday that Trump could launch his next presidential offer as early as this month.

The strained relationship between Trump and DeSantis

But the planning of competitive events inside Florida two days before a major election day is particularly indicative of how strained the relationship between former allies has become. Unlike other potential 2024 contenders, DeSantis didn’t shy away from running against Trump in the primary, causing a lot of anger in the former president. Meanwhile, DeSantis believes such a concession would undermine his attempts to keep the focus on his current race for re-election rather than what might happen, CNN previously reported. DeSantis and his campaigning him refused to publicly discuss their plans after the midterm, but he did not respond in a recent debate when asked if he intended to serve a four-year term if re-elected.

In a head-to-head in a primary, the two candidates may find themselves in a similar financial situation. DeSantis raised $ 200 million in this campaign cycle through its two political committees and spent just over half of that, leaving about $ 90 million in potential initial funding for a Super PAC. At the end of October, Trump had about $ 117 million in his three active fundraising vehicles, according to federal election data.

Trump’s pre-election trip is motivated, at least in part, by his desire to launch a third campaign for the White House, CNN reported this week. Indeed, during a visit to Iowa Thursday, Trump told voters in the nation’s first state caucus to “prepare” for his return as presidential candidate. Trump stopped Saturday in Pennsylvania, the site of the close Senate race between his sponsor, Republican Mehmet Oz, and Democrat John Fetterman, and will spend election eve in Ohio, where the former president supported Republican JD Vance. in the Senate race against Democrat Tim Ryan.

But planning a rally in Florida was also seen as an opportunity for DeSantis. Trump first announced last week his intention to hold a rally for United States Senator Marco Rubio in South Florida, leaving DeSantis considerably out of his plan. Since then, the list of guest speakers has grown to include the state’s youngest senator, Rick Scott, as well as a dozen other elected officials and candidates from across the state.

The decision to hold the rally in Miami-Dade County comes when Republicans are optimistic that they will win the once Democratic stronghold for the first time in two decades. Republican investments to breach the area’s Hispanic neighborhoods paid off in recent elections, and the party is seeing a surge of enthusiasm that is turning the state into a redder hue. Republicans will have an edge in voter registration on election day for the first time in modern Florida political history.

Prior to his arrival, Trump was already taking credit for that change.

“President Trump launched a historic red wave in Florida in mid-term of 2018 with his slate of approved ballot candidates and turned the Sunshine State into the MAGA stronghold it is today,” says Trump’s announcement of PAC Save. America.

While DeSantis embarked on his out-of-state campaign circuit for GOP candidates, including a recent rally in New York for GOP government candidate Lee Zeldin, he is spending the final days of the run against Democrat Charlie Crist sweeping the Florida. . His campaign included 13 events scheduled between Friday and Monday. On the final day, DeSantis scheduled stops in Palm Beach, Trump’s adopted county, and Miami-Dade, not far from Trump’s Sunday event.

During the election campaign, DeSantis does not talk about Trump, but his comments are filled with frequent mentions by President Joe Biden in a preview of what a presidential campaign against the incumbent Democrat might look like.

At an event Thursday in Florida, DeSantis called Biden “King Midas backwards”.

“Biden touches it and it turns into something much worse than (gold),” DeSantis said. “It’s frustrating and many people, the vast majority of Americans, think the country has seen its best days. They think we are clearly on the wrong path. But you know, I think Florida provides the model that other states can follow. ”