As the 2024 presidential election approaches, many are tracking the top 10 Democratic and Republican presidential candidates.[0] Former President Donald Trump is expected to be a chief rival in the Republican primaries, and has grown more publicly hostile towards former political protégé Ron DeSantis, who is now seen as one of Trump’s biggest threats.[1] Trump’s team has accused DeSantis of having “a free ride without scrutiny” and of having policies that are out of step with the GOP base. Trump has been accused of paying hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels shortly before the 2016 election, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has signaled to him that he could face potential criminal charges for this.[2]
Former Congressman Tom Marino, who co-chaired Trump’s 2015 campaign in Pennsylvania, is now supporting DeSantis.[3] Marino believes that Trump was “a genius on policy” but was “a disaster the way he acted,” and that DeSantis is a leader who “doesn’t call people names.” Retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Henry said he did not see DeSantis being “soft on any kind of case” when he was a special assistant U.S. Attorney and that he had the entire weight of the U.S. Attorney’s office overseeing what he was doing. As the election draws closer, there will be more and more scrutiny of the presidential candidates.
0. “Trump in growing legal and political peril ahead of 2024” The Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/10/trump-peril-legal-political
1. “Ron DeSantis hit with an ethics complaint from Trump super PAC” NBC News, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ron-desantis-hit-ethics-complaint-trump-super-pac-rcna74977
2. “Trump legal woes pile on while Ron DeSantis ventures to Iowa” The Independent, 10 Mar. 2023, https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/trump-ron-desantis-republican-2024-b2298477.html
3. “Trump prepares an extensive opposition file on ‘Ron DeSanctimonious'” POLITICO, 15 Mar. 2023, https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/15/trump-opposition-file-desantis-00087081
