There is bad news for Ron DeSantis. The Florida governor is in second place in the race for the GOP nomination. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll revealed a 37 point difference in favor of Donald Trump, who has 54% of the support compared to DeSantis’ 17%.
The latest poll, conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek, shows that DeSantis' outlook is even worse. Fewer than one in six Florida voters believe he will be the GOP presidential nominee. Specifically, 15% of Florida voters feel this way, compared to 51% who believe Trump will be the nominee. On the Democratic side, Biden is clearly leading the Democratic race with 49%, followed by Kennedy with 9%.
The poll conducted late last month is another blow to the DeSantis campaign. Last week, he announced he would be making another round of cuts to his campaign staff in an effort to streamline operations. On Thursday he accepted Newsom's challenge to face off in a debate. He told Newsom to let him know "when and where."
DeSantis has relied on his management and popularity in Florida as a pillar of his candidacy. In November, the nearly 20 points that separated him from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist gave him credibility as a possible challenger to Trump. Voz Media reported that some polls showed him beating the former president, even though he had not yet announced his candidacy.
"There is no substitute for victory," DeSantis said in his first speech as a candidate, in an attempt to capitalize on the wide margin by which he won re-election. He referred to his "common sense" management in Florida as an example of what his time in the White House would be like. The most recent addition to his agenda, which includes anti-woke legislation and anti-illegal immigration measures, came on Tuesday when the Fitch agency downgraded the U.S. debt rating:
Fitch Ratings downgrade of the nation's credit rating from AAA to AA+ is a result of frivolous spending and ballooning national debt for programs like the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) and "Inflation Reduction" Acts. Florida's AAA rating remains the standard-bearer, serving as the nation's blueprint for fiscal responsibility. In FL, we have run large budget surpluses and have paid off nearly 25% of the state debt. National economic decline is a choice.
.@FitchRatings’ downgrade of the nation's credit rating from AAA to AA+ is a result of frivolous spending and ballooning national debt for programs like the CARES and "Inflation Reduction" Acts. Florida's AAA rating remains the standard-bearer, serving as the nation's blueprint… https://t.co/ASwenYAz11
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 2, 2023
