Trump indictments overshadow DeSantis' primary race, says Governor
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis believes the indictments against former President Donald Trump have significantly affected the 2024 Republican presidential primary, causing a distortion in the dynamics of the race
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated that the indictments against former President Donald Trump have "distorted" the dynamics of the 2024 Republican presidential primary. In an interview with CBN News released on Thursday, DeSantis expressed his belief that the indictments have given Trump an advantage in the race and have taken attention away from other candidates.
"If I could change one thing, it would be that Trump wasn't indicted on any of this. I've criticized the cases from Alvin Bragg onwards. It's clear to me that someone like Bragg wouldn't have brought the case if it were anyone other than Trump, distorting justice. It's also distorted the primary. Those have been the main issues," DeSantis stated.
When asked if he believes the indictments have helped Trump, DeSantis replied, "It's both that and the fact that the news of a former president being charged dominates the conversation around the primary."
"He said it's not only that, but it has also overshadowed many other important issues and taken up a lot of attention. DeSantis stated that Trump might gain from the indictments in the primary, but Democrats could use the indictments of the former president to their advantage in a general election."
DeSantis stated that in a general election, he believes the Democrats have a plan for handling this situation. He also mentioned that if Trump becomes the presumptive nominee six months from now and goes through all this, the Democrats have a plan for riding it out. DeSantis's remarks suggest the underlying dynamic driving the Republican primary, where rivals are having difficulty cutting into Trump's commanding lead as they try to gain support from voters who have turned away from him. Polls following Trump's indictments indicated that his support only grew stronger, which further complicated the dynamics of the primary.
Trump is significantly ahead of his competitors for the GOP presidential nomination in national polls and also maintains a commanding lead among likely voters in the Republican presidential primary in New Hampshire, according to a recent CNN Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire. While his support in New Hampshire falls short of a majority, with 42% of likely voters indicating they would vote for him, his lead nationally is substantial. Additionally, DeSantis has consistently criticized the indictments against Trump.
The ex-president has faced four indictments this year. He was initially charged in March by the Manhattan district attorney for state offenses connected to a hush-money payment made to an adult-film star in 2016. Trump was then indicted in June by a federal grand jury in Miami for taking classified national defense documents from the White House after his presidency ended and resisting the government's efforts to recover the materials.
The additional two indictments were the outcome of special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the former president and his allies' alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election. They were also a result of a comprehensive inquiry led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, encompassing some of the most blatant efforts by the former president and his allies to interfere in the 2020 presidential election.
