Talhaasi, Florida – Florida Governor Ron Desantis has not left for nearly two years, but the battle for his replacement has already sparked a severe picnic between Republicans – and has established the Battle of an agent between Disantis and President Donald Trump.
MP Bayron Donalds, R-FLA. , The first great fans in the race, but it is certain that the open ruler will almost confirm a well -funded initial opposition. Increasingly, the opposition seems to come from a well -known Republican in the state, in all of the reputation and the last name: Casey Desantis.
The prominent first lady in the state has said that she is already thinking about running to replace her husband, as a round of conspiracies began behind the scenes where the political Desantis tries to slow down the rise of Donalds, who quickly chose Trump’s support for the 13 points of Trump’s victory in Florida last year.
According to dozens of old warriors in Florida and the National Republicans that NBC News met, the efforts made to destroy the Donalds situation early in the first place included quiet calls to a list of great Republican donors who have already supported Donalds, as well as direct calls to Trump at a face -to -face meeting with monitoring. Some supporters of Desantis say the ultimate goal is to either prevent Trump from engaging in the race or making him take the rare step of issuing double support, something the president has done in the past.
“It is the big question attached to all this now,” said Florida’s donations for a long time about talks about Casey Desantis. “Is it, or not? At the present time, it is really the only question that matters.”
The launch of the early campaign and support from Donals, a large ally of Congress in Trump, has strengthened his position as the front candidate imagined in the Republican introductory elections. But it also motivated the most aggressive participation of the Desantis team, including a direct appeal to Trump.
At the end of last week, Ron and Casey Desantis took breakfast with Trump at its West Palm Beach golf, a journey that also included a golf tour – a pressure effort focusing on the 2026 ruler race.
While he was with the president, the governor of Florida and his wife tried to influence Trump for not engaging in the race outside his offer to support Donalds, to allow the race to settle and give Casey Diantes time to make a decision on its formal political future.
One of the supporters of Desantis said he was aware of the meeting that Trump told Ron and Cassi that he was “attached to guard” about the fact that Casey was thinking about running, and he would consider stopping support if he knew him. But Trump’s best advisers stabbed this account. Although the meeting was friendly, they say that Trump knew what he was doing when Donalds supported, and they say that the president was standing by the decision and is likely to participate in the race to what is actually his social support.
“The president does not lose. One of Trump’s advisers said:” President is loyal. “Once he supports someone, he wants to see him through. Among all people, Ron Desantis knows this. “
Another said that the president remained “undisputed” in the political stadium.
Desantis is still hoping that, at least, they can maintain Trump on the margin today. They were increasingly talking about the idea that Trump could also make double support, which Trump has done in the past when he faced competitive political necessities, including the Arizona 2024 house race and a Missouri race for the year 2022.
“He did so before, and I think he loves Casey,” said one of the veteran republican workers in Florida, who will support the Casey Desantis show if she was nominating. “I think it will be the best scenario early.”
Trump supported the successful Ron Desantis offer to the ruler in 2018, and the two have enjoyed a political relationship outside the efforts since then. They were political allies close to years after his support before they publicly contradicted during the 2024 presidential race. Trump and his team often looks at black and white things, and he looked at Desantis, which challenged Trump as a political betrayal after he helped Trump to make the governor of Desantis.
“Can Ron Desantis carry Donald Trump’s betrayal again?” A national Republican worked as a supportive of Donalds. “This is what I will think of.”
Those who oppose Donalds noticed that he had not faced a dangerous race, and therefore did not pass the major general analysis as a political candidate. They point out to some general reports that among other things, Donalds was a former registered democratic and that he faced criminal charges in the past – the possession of marijuana with the intention of distributing and bribery – which was later rejected or filled, According to the news material in Fort Meers.
“I am not sure that he is ready for what will happen,” a Republican activist said alignment. “I don’t think it will be able to endure the attack when its past highlights.”
Besides the batch to secure the main political support of Trump, there was also a quiet battle for the main donors, and many of them have already pledged to their general support for Donalds.
Last month, Donalds released the names of dozens of adult GOP supporters, including the technical billionaire (and Trump White Consultant) David Sachs; The main Republican donor, Dick Ohaleen; Steve Witkeov, who is currently Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East. Trump used the social truth To amplify the list of supporters.
Many names on the list were political and donor supporters of Ron Desantis, who are still talking frequently with many of them. In recent weeks, the governor has contacted each other to point out that Casey Desantis is considering a serious campaign, seeking to reconsider their support or at least freezing money at now to Donalds, according to three sources familiar with calls.
Donalds early collection numbers can play a big role in determining whether the other Republicans enter the race.
“for him [Donalds’] One of the national Republican workers who did not participate in the race said that the donation number in the first quarter will be a huge signal, and everyone knows it. “
Casey Desantis is among the best well -known women in the history of the country. She was a prominent part of her husband’s management as she loves her Republicans in Florida.
A North Florida University poll Last month, Casey Desantis was 57 % of the approval between Republicans in Florida, while Donalds was 27 % less well -known. Among the others listed in the reconnaissance and potential Republican candidates are the former deputy Matt Gaitz (33 % favorable classification) and government agriculture commissioner Wilton Simpson (7 % favorable). Nothing but Gaetz had any large -class classification among Republicans at this stage.
Gaetz is the only leading Republic I mentioned for the first time by Tamba Bay Times.
“You will have some preference by the association as a first lady in Florida,” said Michael Binder, director of the Public Opinion Research Laboratory at North Florida University. “But most of these potential candidates suffer from a lack of recognition, and some suffer more than others.”
“However, I expect to see a few of them becoming home names by the time around it in August 2026.”
The poll found that 28 % of Republicans have never heard of Casey Desantis, while 60 % said the same for Donalds.
Elementary shade
Ron Desantis has already come out late last month when he was addressing Donalds’s attempt by the ruler, saying he was a creature in Washington, not Florida, and he did not receive victories for the state in Washington.
He said during a press conference in late February: “The truth is that we have achieved victories in Florida,” he said during a press conference in late February. “I think people look at it and say that you have a man like Peron, it was not part of any of the victories we achieved here during the left during these past years.”
“It was not part of it,” added Ron Desantis. “In other states he was carrying out a campaign to do so and this is good, but well, then he presents the results there.”
Since that time, the ruler has not directly attacked Donalds, but he raised Casey Desantis on several occasions, developing her as an heir wanted for his heritage, which could continue the gains made by the Republicans in Florida during his two periods.
Casey Desantis did not adhere to running, but she was exposed to the idea when she was asked.
“When you come to a thorny junction on the road, take it,” she said last month, and borrowed a hidden turning point of the Yogi Pera.
Donals has not yet taken the taste. In public comments, he said he was “very happy” with what Ron Desantis did as a ruler, and he defended his own record, which includes four years in the Legislative Council in Florida.
“Peron Donalds is a conservative fighter installed and for this reason he has support for President Donald J “His time in the Legislative Council in Florida, Congress, and campaigns with President Trump to retire Joe Biden and save our great nation prove that he has a busy record and experience of building from the success of conservatives Rick Scott and Ron Desantis to keep Florida great.”
With Republicans sharing the Florida battle lines before 2026, many people still believe that there is one really important thing when dust stabilizes: Trump.
“The ruler of Stephen Lawson, who is now a Republican worker in Georgia who has worked in the past with both Desantis and former Florida Ruler Rick Scott, who is now a Republican member in Georgia working in the past with both Disantes and the former ruler The American.
He added: “The candidate will be the next ruler.” “The more everyone reaches this awareness, the better for the party and the state.”