For months, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has wrestled with a key strategic question: How to take on Donald Trump in a way that doesn’t alienate a Republican base that adores the former president.
On Wednesday night, with his campaign in the doldrums and time and options running out, he sharpened his approach.
He used his first answer in the second Republican debate to condemn Trump for avoiding confrontation with other candidates and for increasing the national debt while president.
“Donald Trump is missing a move,” he said. “He should be on this stage tonight.
“He owes it to you to defend his record of adding $7.8 trillion to the debt that paved the way for the inflation we have.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took an early shot at Donald Trump and had a stronger evening than at the first debate in Milwaukee last month
His campaign insists DeSantis is well-positioned to gain support as other candidates begin to drop out.
But at the same time, the allies fear that he is running out of time to bring in the frontrunner. They have grown desperate over the way DeSantis tried to circumvent Trump on the right, continuing his “war on woke,” taking on Disney and taking a tough line on abortion.
As his poll numbers fell, he did on Wednesday what they had long urged him to do: He spoke of his successes in Florida as a template for how he would govern the nation.
He absorbed attacks on foreign policy, health insurance in Florida and his opposition to fracking, but managed to avoid being sucked into the crosstalk of rivals jostling for airtime.
In terms of speaking time, he came out on top with 12 minutes and 27 seconds, according to the New York Times tracker.
Top DeSantis donor Dan Eberhart said it still might not be enough with Trump so far ahead of us and no one getting a fatal blow.
“I think Governor DeSantis won, but I think this is only half of what needs to be done,” he said.
“If you don’t want Trump, you need two or three people to drop out of this race, and then the media has to write momentum stories.
“Or there isn’t even a David and Goliath match.”
Seven candidates took part in the debate, but leader Donald Trump stayed away again
Trump instead spoke to an auto parts manufacturer in Clinton, Michigan
DeSantis has long been seen as the most likely candidate to beat Trump for the nomination. But that was before he entered the race.
The Florida governor has seen his stature plummet after a disastrous launch on Twitter Spaces (when a wave of listeners crashed servers) and a series of campaign missteps.
Recent polls show him slipping in key early states. A CNN/University of New Hampshire ranking this week ranked him fifth in the Granite State, behind not only Trump but also tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Last month’s debate in Milwaukee provided an opportunity to re-establish itself with voters, but it was a missed opportunity.
He sometimes disappeared from view, careful to avoid a misstep as his rivals took the opportunity to bash Trump and each other.
It was still enough to come second best in a post-debate poll for DailyMail.com
He looked more confident this time, said Republican strategist John Feehery.
“His answer on abortion was pretty good,” he said, referring to DeSantis’ defense of his hardline stance. “For the Republican base, I thought he did a pretty good job…much better than the last one.
‘Apart from Trump for staying away, I give him the clear victory.
Seven Republican candidates took the stage at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. DeSantis was given the first spot in the middle of the lineup
The candidates walk onto the stage at the Reagan Presidential Library on Wednesday evening
His team is confident that he remains the only candidate with the standing to defeat Trump. They see him gaining support while other runners drop out and their backers switch to the only candidate with the financial strength and ground game to run all the way next year.
Their metric revolves around polls that suggest DeSantis is the second choice of most supporters of other candidates. Every time one drops out, they estimate they will pick up seven in ten supporters; while the rest largely goes to Trump.
But for that to happen, people have to start dropping out, and fast.
DeSantis tried to use his platform to position himself as the best-placed to make things happen.
“I’m the only one here who has fought big fights and won big victories for the people of Florida,” he said. ‘And that’s the point. You can always talk, but when it gets hot there, they shoot arrows at you. Will you stand up for the rights of parents and keep the state free?
“Are you going to be able to do all those things and in the state of Florida the Democratic Party is in ruins because of our success.”