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Donald Trump received an unexpectedly frosty reception from his own supporters during his first major public 2024 rally in Waco, Texas, which may have implications for the former president's campaign plans.
During the Saturday rally, Trump reverted to his usual tactic of attacking his one-time ally Ron DeSantis amid speculation the Florida governor is due to soon confirm his own 2024 bid.
While Trump has frequently lashed out at DeSantis for months online via his Truth Social account, including sharing polls that show the former president dominating the Florida governor in a hypothetical GOP primary contest, the Waco rally was the first real test to see if frequently attacking his Republican rival whose stock has been rising in GOP circles will translate into real life.
Instead, as noted by several news sites such as the normally Trump-supporting Fox News, the crowd at the Waco rally was silent while Trump launched a mocking tirade against DeSantis, including claiming the governor came to him "crying, begging" for an endorsement in his 2018 gubernatorial election.
"There is a big difference between a pro-Trump rally and an anti-DeSantis rally and Donald Trump might be crossing that line," Brandon Rottinghaus, professor of political science University of Houston, told Newsweek. "DeSantis is well liked by many Republicans so attacking him this early without a specific reason may backfire for Trump."
The tactic of Trump going after his GOP presidential primary rivals is nothing new, having previously insulted several Republican candidates in 2016 before clinching the nomination.
In February, Trump also mocked former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley's polling numbers soon after she confirmed she was running for the White House.
However, it is DeSantis who has received the most scorn, with many Republicans seeing the Florida governor as the one to lead the party heading into 2024 as Trump faces several possible indictments and signs his popularity waned following the GOP's poor 2022 midterm performance.
It appears likely that, should DeSantis confirm his 2024 bid as expected, that Trump will continue to attack and insult the Florida governor from all sides as he attempts to derail his potentially biggest challenger for the GOP nomination.
The question remains if the tactic will work with DeSantis—who is already hugely popular in Florida and whose hardline policies targeting the "woke agenda" in education and public life are being copied in states across the country—for the general public while Trump continues his campaign trail.
"Trump is going to face a difficult task convincing Republican primary voters that Ron DeSantis is insufficiently conservative, especially with Florida being in the vanguard in the approval of conservative-oriented legislation in a wide range of areas ranging from CRT [critical race theory], to woke corporations, to school choice, to election integrity," Rice University political scientist Mark Jones told Newsweek.
"That said, Trump's main campaign strategy has traditionally been to attack his rivals, so I don't see him deviating from that strategy vis-à-vis DeSantis anytime soon.
"And, in many respects, Trump needs to be able to raise DeSantis's negatives among Republican Primary voters to insure victory in the 2024 Republican nomination process, since if Republicans view Trump and DeSantis as equally palatable, then many may support DeSantis given his widely seen advantage over Joe Biden in the general election compared to Trump."
While DeSantis has largely ignored Trump's attacks and not retaliated, Jones suggested the Florida governor may be forced to do so once he confirms his 2024 bid as Trump's insults appear to be "taking their toll" on DeSantis's favorability ratings over the past few months.
Kimi Lynn King, a University of North Texas political science professor, said that Trump will go on to attack DeSantis and more GOP figures once they enter the 2024 primary race. Former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina are among the names rumored to be considering a White House run.
"DeSantis is a threat because he has started to raise some serious money for the campaign, without even having to announce," King told Newsweek.
"That awkward silence in Waco is most likely the lack of clarity about who the GOP field of contenders will be for the 2024 campaign. Until then, expect more uncomfortable moments.
"It is also the recognition that there is much at stake in the 2024 election and that Republicans divided against themselves may not be a winning strategy," King added.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, and Florida ... Read more