Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Former President Donald J. Trump are causing a divide within the Republican party and raise a major question— who will be the 2024 presidential nominee?
Democrats and Republicans have expressed their concerns for another 4 years of divisiveness within the nation.
Terri Burl, an early member of Women for Trump, supported the former president during his 4 years, but with new Republican candidates on the rise, she finds that there are better options for the 2024 election.
“I will back whoever the Republicans choose to run in 2024. That’s a given. But I want them to go through the primaries and I hope it’s not Trump. He has too much baggage now. We need new blood because it’s obvious that he can’t get to business now without doing things to make people angry. His behavior hasn’t changed,” Burl said.
Quinnipiac University National Poll found that in 2021, 78 percent of Republicans wanted to see Trump run for president in 2024.
But the numbers have changed over the past year.
Trump has only a 35% chance of winning the 2024 nomination according to prediction markets— this is down from before Election Day. On the contrary, DeSantis has a 40% chance of winning the nomination.
In a YouGov poll taken after Election Day, 41 percent of those surveyed said they preferred DeSantis over Trump— 39% voted in favor of the former president. A Politico/Morning Consult poll showed 47 percent of Republicans and right-leaning independents would support Trump. Only 33% would support DeSantis.
Andy Sabin, who donated about $120,000 toward Trump’s 2020 re-election bid, says he’s “not going to give [Trump] a f—ing nickel” in 2024. He donated $55,000 to a pro-DeSantis PAC this year, according to state campaign finance records. He has also expressed his support for DeSantis if he intends to run in 2024.
Though Republicans took the House, Sabin blames the loss of the Senate on Trump.
“At the end of the day, people stayed away because of Trump,” Sabin told CNBC. He also mentioned that Trump’s endorsements did not qualify candidates for the job unless they themselves expressed support for the former president.
“[Trump] endorsed candidates who were not necessarily qualified unless they said ‘I love you, Donald,’” Sabin added.
Other Republican candidates have expressed support for the former president.
“President Trump has my full endorsement and my support as our Republican nominee in 2024,” wrote Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) after Trump’s announcement.
GOP Representatives Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Andy Biggs (R-Arizona) have also expressed their endorsement of Trump. In a clip, Nehls is heard saying “America’s comeback starts RIGHT NOW.”
“President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party,” Biggs said. “Let’s Make America Great Again.”
Peter Ganley, 26, former assembly candidate in the First District, says that Trump’s “jabs” at DeSantis could cause a major divide in the Republican Party.
“It’s uncalled for. It’s the wrong thing for the party,” Ganley said. “He needs to take a step back and really examine what he’s doing and how his actions are hurting the party as a whole.”
