Washington Post’s Philip Bump: Sinking Trump Will Soon Turn Against Surging DeSantis

During his time in the White House, Donald Trump enjoyed huge popularity among Republicans. Sure, it was never the 95 or 96% he claimed, but the former president was able to amass over 74 million votes in 2020.

But since he’s been out of the White House, Trump has been unable to stay in front of Republican voters. Not only is he not in the news on a daily basis, he also lost his Twitter account that allowed him to blast out grievances to millions of followers.

And with Trump’s popularity dwindling, other Republican lawmakers have stepped in to fill the gap. Ron DeSantis, in particular, now seems like someone who could challenge the 45th president for leadership of the party. With that being the case, Philip Bump says, Trump will have no choice but to turn on the Florida governor.

The Washington Post scribe begins, “The point, though, is simple: Nothing frustrates Trump more obviously and viscerally than coming in second. Which is not great news for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.”

Bump continues:

There was no real way that Trump would have been able to maintain the same fervent level of support he enjoyed as president once he left office. That’s simply not how politics works. So, as long as Trump continues to harbor a desire to reclaim his position in three years, he runs the risk of comparing unfavorably with other potential candidates. That includes ones like DeSantis, who get to enjoy public attention by virtue of their positions.”

With trouble coming in all directions, Trump is focused on staying in charge of the GOP. He will always fight anything that could lead to an erosion of his power.

You can read Bump’s full piece here