Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, is facing a tough challenge in the first GOP debate on Wednesday in Milwaukee.
DeSantis, who has been trailing Donald Trump in most polls, has seen his campaign suffer several setbacks in recent weeks, including the publication of his debate preparation memos by the New York Times and his controversial comment about Trump-supporting lawmakers being “listless vessels.”
The debate memos, which were posted online by a consulting firm working for a pro-DeSantis Super Pac, revealed that DeSantis was advised to attack Joe Biden and the media, defend Trump from Chris Christie’s attacks, and “take a sledgehammer” to Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who has emerged as a strong rival to DeSantis.
The memos also suggested that DeSantis should invoke personal anecdotes about his family and show emotion, something that he has struggled to do on the campaign trail.
DeSantis also faced criticism from Trump’s campaign, which demanded an apology from him for calling Trump-supporting members of Congress “listless vessels” who are “kissing his rear end.” DeSantis made the remark during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, in which he tried to distance himself from Trump’s cult of personality.
“You could be the most conservative person since sliced bread. Unless you’re kissing his rear end, they will somehow call you a RINO,” he complained.
DeSantis will have to balance his loyalty to Trump, who remains popular among Republican voters, with his own vision and agenda for the country. He will also have to fend off attacks from other candidates, especially Christie and Ramaswamy, who have been gaining momentum in some states.
The debate, which will be moderated by Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, will feature 10 candidates: Trump, DeSantis, Christie, Ramaswamy, Ted Cruz, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Tom Cotton and Kristi Noem.
