Both men would be seeking the GOP nomination in 2024, though neither have announced their intention to run. DeSantis is heavily focused on the state of Florida, where he has been dedicated to his constituents. When his team is asked about a potential presidential run, they consistently say that he is entirely focused on his state, which has boasted tremendous successes both during the pandemic and after, while other states lag behind both economically and socially.
The article from Business Insider, titled "Running against Trump is more of a risk for DeSantis than peaking too soon, said a GOP strategist who was betting big on the Florida governor," quotes a political strategist who claims that were DeSantis to initiate a run, it would make sense for him to wait for 2028 rather than throw his hat into the 2024 ring.
DeSantis, who is likely to win his upcoming gubernatorial election in November, would then serve his home state until 2026. Trump, were he to announce a run for president, would be legally allowed to only serve one more term as president.
Business Insider spoke to a strategist about the matter, writing "at least one GOP operative — John Thomas, founder and president of the political advertising and strategy group Thomas Partners Strategies — thinks it's better for DeSantis to wait than to try to challenge Trump in 2024."
"I wouldn't advise him to go head to head with Trump," Thomas told Insider. "It's not gonna go well for DeSantis."
Thomas now says that DeSantis should not risk his popularity—and his reputation—by coming out in opposition to Trump. As it stands right now, the two men appear to be on the same side of the MAGA phenomenon, pushing for freedom, liberty, and individual rights. Both men speak about natural rights and have pushed for parental rights as well, with DeSantis leading the nationally popular charge to defend parental rights in education.
Trump, who hasn't announced a run to seek a second term, is currently facing two investigations from Biden's Department of Justice. One is an attempt to prove that he attemped a governmental coup to stay in office at the end of his first term, though he left the White House peacefully at the end of his term just like every other president before him. The second investigation alleges that he stored government documents improperly in his Mar-a-Lago home.
Trump has conitnued to hold rallies since leaving office, and is still wildly popular among those Americans who voted for him and support his direction for America. DeSantis has been out campaigning for his re-election bid. Neither of them tend to mention each other in their speeches, though each has made subtle references to the other.
"Trump can end careers," Thomas told Insider. "I think he revels in it."
This is not the first time Trump has shared articles about what a match-up between himself and DeSantis would look like. He also shared an article from the American Thinker called "Donald Trump Must Be The 2024 Republican Nominee."
It suggests that while there are many things that DeSantis can do, "there is one thing only Donald Trump can do. Donald Trump’s re-election can restore faith in America."
