DeSantis Unleashes a Bold Message: Trump's Transformation Sets the Stage for a New Era

Donald Trump was criticized by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for being "missing in action" during the recent Republican presidential primary debate. DeSantis further challenged Trump to a one-on-one debate, pointed out his political shortcomings that allegedly led to Georgia and Arizona turning blue, and accused him of avoiding the campaign trail – a criticism reminiscent of those directed at Joe Biden in 2020.

Moreover, DeSantis has added a new item to his campaign's online store. In the past, he sold flip flops mocking Dr. Anthony Fauci and golf balls boasting about his own courage as Florida's governor. Now, supporters can purchase a "Trumps veto pen" for $7.8 trillion. This playful joke aims to highlight the Trump White House's role in contributing to the national debt.

DeSantis has adopted a more assertive strategy in recent weeks, signaling a departure from his previous indecisiveness about how to handle the former president. This shift in approach comes as there is a growing sense of urgency to impede Trump's progress towards the nomination. The core of this intensified offensive lies in messaging aimed at persuading Republicans that Trump has transformed, no longer resembling the political disruptor of 2016 or the president who departed the White House after his loss in 2021. Several other potential 2024 candidates are also seeking to highlight the contrast between Trump and his previous campaigns.

Notably, there is no clear direct attack from DeSantis on Trump's pending criminal indictments and civil lawsuits. Even though Trump was present in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday for a trial regarding his company's alleged asset inflation. Instead, DeSantis criticized Trump for his 2016 campaign promise to make Mexico pay for a new border wall, dismissing it as an empty slogan.

This new phase of DeSantis' campaign is emerging just over 100 days before the Iowa caucuses, where a strong performance or outright victory is crucial for DeSantis' chances. This development also coincides with increasing concerns among conservative donors and strategists that overcoming Trump's lead in national polls and key states is becoming more challenging.

The DeSantis campaign, however, strongly maintains that the race is far from decided, and the timing of these recent attacks is significant as the 2024 election is now gaining voter attention.

Ryan Tyson, a senior adviser to the DeSantis campaign, stated, "The appropriate moment for highlighting the differences was not during the summer when the government was targeting (Trump)."

DeSantis on Trump: Hes a different candidate

The shift in DeSantis' stance became evident on a Monday afternoon in mid-September. During a conversation with a prominent Iowa reporter, DeSantis spontaneously criticized Trump's position on abortion, expressing his disapproval. "I believe he is deviating from the values held by the people of Iowa," DeSantis told OKay Henderson of Radio Iowa, a statewide news network in Iowa. This statement followed the former president's remark on NBC's "Meet the Press," where he referred to Florida's ban on abortion after six weeks as "a terrible mistake."

DeSantis concluded his 11-minute interview by asserting, "I believe it is important for all individuals who support the pro-life movement to be aware that he is getting ready to betray you."

Within a span of two days, DeSantis reinforced his stance, stating that Trump was "adopting stances that I perceive as divergent from those he held in 2015 when he initially emerged, and I genuinely believe that he has evolved as a candidate since then."

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DeSantis is not alone in implying to voters that Trump's character has undergone a transformation. Republicans are exploring ways to challenge the former president without distancing themselves from those who have positive memories of his four-year tenure or risking criticism for their previous support of his administration.

Last month, former New Jersey Gov. Christie remarked to CNN that in 2016, Trump declared, "I am your voice," but now he asserts, "I am your retribution." He emphasized that these are two very distinct individuals. Similarly, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley recently commented that Trump used to excel in foreign policy but has since become "indecisive." Former Vice President Mike Pence stated that he and his ex-running mate governed with conservative ideologies, but Trump no longer displays such a commitment.

The Florida governor's opposition to Trump is supported by a DeSantis-aligned super PAC called Never Back Down. Recently, they unveiled a new advertisement in Iowa, which effectively highlights the growing effort to emphasize the differences between the two individuals.

"We are faced with a choice. One individual traversed the academic paths of Yale and Harvard Law. The other did not," the narrator in the ad states. "One willingly served their country in times of war. The other did not. One individual took a stand against Fauci and fought for freedom. The other did not. One individual achieved a historic reelection victory, while the other did not. One individual is the right choice to overcome Joe Biden."

The advertisement aired right before the second GOP debate, which is the same timing when the influential conservative organization Club for Growth aired anti-Trump advertisements in an effort to hinder his progress. One of these ads labeled Trump as a pseudo-Republican who was merely manipulating the public. However, this argument ultimately did not succeed. Today, we can see echoes of this criticism as Trump's opponents once again aim to portray him as lacking principles, with the hope that voters will be concerned this time.

In a memo to donors obtained by CNN, Club for Growth president David McIntosh cautioned against overly aggressive attacks on Trump. The Win It Back political action committee, led by McIntosh, spent $6 million on ads in an attempt to weaken Trump's support in Iowa and South Carolina. However, they discovered that most conventional attacks had little to no effect on Trump's ballot support and favorability. McIntosh pointed out that even ads featuring footage of Trump making liberal or unintelligent remarks had backfired or failed to make an impact.

A senior campaign official for DeSantis expressed disagreement with McIntosh's evaluation of Win it Back's advertisements. According to the official, the ads were not successful in persuading people to change their views. However, the official attributed this lack of success to the timing, as they were tested when Trump was facing multiple indictments. The official pointed out that during those periods, Republican support for Trump was at its highest.

Additionally, the official emphasized that there is a distinction between the 2015 case against Trump and the current one being made by DeSantis and others.

"The advisor pointed out that one perspective suggests not to trust what one sees, while the other perspective highlights that the person we remember no longer possesses their previous abilities," he explained. "The distinction lies in the fact that we fondly remember this individual for their remarkable accomplishments, but when we observe them now and listen to what they say, it becomes evident that they are no longer capable of the same. There is indeed a notable discrepancy."

Furthermore, the attacks against Trump are now occurring earlier and with greater financial backing compared to eight years ago. Based on AdImpact data, the expenditure on anti-Trump advertisements has considerably surpassed the amount spent in 2015, during Trump's initial presidential campaign. Republican campaigns and organizations have already invested approximately $8.2 million on anti-Trump ads, whereas at the same stage in 2015, the total expenditure was slightly over $700,000.

A new phase

The DeSantis campaign has entered a new phase, signaling a significant departure from the spring and summer. Previously, DeSantis hesitated to criticize Trump openly, often appearing uncomfortable. There were moments when DeSantis seemed to have sharpened his attacks, but he ultimately refrained from delivering them fully. For instance, he once made light of Trump's legal troubles related to an alleged hush money payment to an adult film star, but chose not to repeat those comments after facing criticism.

Prior to the initial debate, the advisors of Never Back Down campaign advocated for a defensive strategy rather than an offensive one if someone like Christie targeted the previous president, Trump. However, this approach has now shifted. During the second debate last week, Christie fired the first shot at Trump for evading the debate, and subsequently, DeSantis joined in.

"Trump should be present on this stage tonight, as he is obliged to defend his track record, which includes a substantial increase of $7.8 trillion in debt," DeSantis argued. "This action has laid the foundation for the current inflationary state we find ourselves in."

However, the task of altering perspectives still presents its fair share of challenges.

Ethan Masters, a 21-year-old from Iowa, was impressed by DeSantis after attending a recent event in rural northwest Iowa. According to Masters, criticizing Trump during the debate was a misguided move.

"You see, attacking people is Donald Trump's signature style," Masters observed. "If you attempt to emulate that, you'll only appear as if you're copying him."

Shellie Flockhart, the vice chair of the Moms for Liberty chapter in Dallas County, Iowa, disagreed with DeSantis' claim that Trump has turned his back on conservatives regarding abortion.

According to Flockhart, "Trump successfully achieved the seemingly impossible task of overturning Roe v. Wade. Now, the responsibility falls on individual states. However, we must proceed cautiously and not rush too quickly. I don't think Trump ever intended to suggest that banning abortion is wrong. Instead, I believe he was critiquing DeSantis' approach, viewing it as a misguided and ineffective tactic to gain presidential votes."

CNNs David Wright, Jeff Zeleny, Arit John, Kristen Holmes and Alayna Treene contributed to this story.