Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is receiving more attacks than any other potential presidential candidate, according to Fox News. DeSantis is currently in second or third place in some GOP primary polls, with former President Donald Trump leading the presidential race.
Although DeSantis ranks second in the GOP polls, he is leading in terms of negative independent expenditures compared to all other candidates. Independent expenditures entail the campaign costs incurred to target opposing contenders in an election, often involving funding for opposition research.
Screenshot: X: Rob Pyers
DeSantis has encountered negative independent expenditure spending surpassing $20.2 million. He is facing much more financial scrutiny than Presidents Biden and Trump, with millions of dollars being spent on criticisms and attacks against him. Biden has accrued the second-highest amount of negative campaign expenditures, totaling $9.2 million.
Trump’s negative independent expenditures tally over $8.1 million, placing him just behind Biden. However, it’s noteworthy that Fox News doesn’t encompass the expenses related to negative coverage from mainstream media news networks, government press conferences, or investigations.
According to Andrew Romeo, the campaign communications director for DeSantis, many groups, including Republicans, Democrats, and the established media, are collectively targeting Ron DeSantis due to their perception of his potential to triumph over Joe Biden.
Romeo expects more attacks on DeSantis during the upcoming debate, and he realizes he may not be the winner. Nevertheless, Romeo emphasizes that DeSantis is accustomed to weathering criticism for the sake of the American people.
Despite the barrage of criticism, Ron DeSantis remains resolute and unwavering in his stance.
In a recent survey, it emerged that DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, stands a higher chance of besting President Biden in the upcoming 2024 election in Virginia as he contends with former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.
A recent poll conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University revealed that in a hypothetical 2024 election faceoff against 82-year-old Biden, participants expressed a preference for DeSantis over Trump.
In a subsequent 2022 poll, 40% of respondents expressed intent to vote for Trump, while 43% indicated a preference for Biden.
During the DeSantis versus Biden rivalry, both candidates garnered equal backing, each with 41% support. A majority of respondents, specifically 54%, voiced their disapproval of President Biden’s current job performance.