DeSantis Rising: Trump’s Biggest Threat in 2024?

Even though Trump has an advantage in the primary polling, he cannot deny that Ron DeSantis can be a formidable force when it comes time to raise money.

DeSantis released his first-quarter fundraising figures on Thursday. He has raised an impressive $20 million since the launch of his campaign, which was on May 24. Nearly half of the funds came in on the first day of the fundraiser.

Fox News shared the DeSantis fundraising data, claiming that the haul was “the largest first-quarter filing by any non-incumbent Republican candidates in more than 10 years” and “even betters the $18,3 million raised by former president Donald Trump and his quasi-incumbent campaign during the first two-quarters of fundraising as a candidate.” ($3.8 in Q4 2020 and $14.5 Q1 2023).

Fox News reports that the Trump campaign, Save America PAC, and other fundraising committees raised $9.5 million since the mid-November launch of the campaign through the end of last year. This was followed by nearly $19 million in the first quarter between January and March. President Trump announced this week that his campaign and Save America PAC had “collectively brought in more than $35 million in the second quarter of political fundraising.”

“We are grateful to the many Americans who have invested in this country’s recovery. We have created an operation that will share the message of the governor and mobilize millions who support him. Generra Peck, DeSantis’ campaign manager, said: “We are ready to win.”

The pro-DeSantis Super PAC Never Back Down also raised huge money. According to CEO Chris Jankowski, DeSantis’s campaign and Never Back Down collectively raised $150 million, with donations from every state, which indicates, according to Jankowski, “what a formidable movement is behind Governor DeSantis. The future of the Republican Party is Governor Ron DeSantis.”

Trump has a double-digit lead over DeSantis in the GOP primary polls. However, Trump attacks DeSantis like he is only 5 points ahead. Why? A recent CBS News/YouGov survey found that 49% of GOP primary voters would consider Trump or any other candidate. Only 24% of GOP primary voters have committed themselves to only considering Trump. 27% do not intend to consider him at all.

DeSantis is a serious threat to Trump, especially when you consider that the campaign is still very early and that Trump has a large base of swayable supporters. DeSantis’s allies also have a massive war chest.