The Florida governor has an opportunity to attack the former president without challenging his base.
Editor’s note: This piece was originally published on 21 March but has been updated as Manhattan prosecutors indicted Donald Trump on Thursday, 30 March. The charges against the former president center on the $130,000 he allegedly paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Are we about to witness a watershed moment for American democracy? As early as this evening (21 March), the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, is expected to place Donald Trump under arrest for allegedly paying hush money to a porn star during the 2016 presidential campaign. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has testified that he paid $130,000 to the actress known as Stormy Daniels through a shell company and was later reimbursed with Trump’s knowledge by his organization. The former president denies all charges.
The indictment represents a pivotal moment, both for Trump and for his potential challengers. For Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trump’s legal woes present an opportunity to position himself as a viable alternative to the former president. DeSantis, who has already built a strong political brand based on his hard-right policies and opposition to progressive movements, may now find that attacking Trump on legal grounds provides him with an opening to weaken Trump’s grip on the Republican base.
DeSantis’s strategy, however, is delicate. He must find a way to criticize Trump without directly alienating the former president’s loyal supporters. Many of Trump’s backers view him as a victim of political persecution, so DeSantis’s critiques must be carefully worded to avoid the impression that he is undermining Trump while also positioning himself as a candidate who can lead the Republican Party into a post-Trump era.
This indictment offers DeSantis a rare chance to differentiate himself from Trump in a way that does not challenge the core of Trump’s support base. By focusing on Trump’s legal troubles without engaging in a direct personality conflict, DeSantis can simultaneously distance himself from the former president’s baggage while not completely breaking ranks with the party’s base. This strategy, if executed properly, could secure DeSantis’s position as the Republican Party’s frontrunner in the upcoming presidential race.
Trump’s legal challenges could serve as an anchor that slows his momentum as a presidential candidate. As DeSantis weighs his political moves, the focus should be on exploiting the vulnerabilities exposed by Trump’s legal battles while appealing to a broader electorate that is weary of the chaos surrounding Trump’s presidency and personal scandals. This delicate balancing act will determine whether DeSantis can emerge as the Republican alternative to Trump.
In the coming weeks, the political fallout from Trump’s indictment will reverberate across the political spectrum. For DeSantis, it’s an opportunity to attack Trump on the grounds of his alleged criminal conduct while avoiding direct confrontation with his loyal base. The challenge will be ensuring that this approach resonates with voters who may be disillusioned with Trump but still hold on to the nostalgia of his presidency.
