Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor and one of the leading candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, has reportedly decided not to attend the Conservative Political Action Committee's (CPAC's) annual conference in March. His poll numbers have dropped due to Trump's criticism.
A report by The Floridan stated that Governor Rick Scott of Florida is avoiding an event due to a scheduling conflict.
It's also been speculated that DeSantis' decision not to attend the event was due to his desire to avoid adding more hype to his potential matchup against Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential primaries.
According to the outlet, DeSantis' decision not to attend the event could be a sign that he's focused on the primary battle against Trump.
He’s afraid of Trump and Trump supporters now. https://t.co/M2446y0ruO
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 20, 2023
In addition to DeSantis, other prominent politicians from Florida such as US Senator Rick Scott and Congressman Greg Steube are also expected to attend the event.
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and the US Ambassador to the UN, is also expected to attend the event. Her presence at the conservative gathering comes after she announced her intention to run for president in 2024.
The reported reason for DeSantis' absence from the event is that his poll numbers have started to drop. He's widely expected to be the Republican candidate for president in 2024, and he doesn't want to be overshadowed by other potential candidates.
A poll conducted by The Hill on Friday revealed that support for DeSantis has dropped by 5 percentage points. He currently has a support rating of only 23 percent, which is lower than President Donald Trump's 46 percent.
So let me get this straight…
Ron DeSantis can go talk to 60 people in New York City in late February, but he can't go to CPAC in DC ten days later?
Of course, President Trump will be at CPAC.
And the crowd will be bigger.
Interesting choice here by the governor. https://t.co/oWp6NlLsX0
— Paul Villarreal (AKA Vince Manfeld) (@AureliusStoic1) February 20, 2023
The former president's negative comments about DeSantis have also affected his standing among Republican voters. According to the survey, he was trailing by 12 points.
In response to DeSantis' poor poll numbers, Trump criticized the Florida governor on Twitter. He claimed that he wants to cut Medicare and Social Security, close Florida's beaches, and is supported by groups such as the Lincoln Pervert Project and the Globalist Club. The president also noted that his polling numbers are dropping due to his "RINO" status. Good luck Ron.
A new poll showed that Trump has a clear lead over DeSantis, and the president criticized the Florida governor. He also compared him to Karl Rove, Paul Ryan, and Jeb Bush.
In response to the latest poll results, Trump posted a message on his social media platform. He noted that his support for DeSantis' has started to cool.
He claimed that he wants to cut Medicare and Social Security. He also criticized Ryan and accused him of being a "destroyer" of the Wall Street Journal and Fox News. Trump stated that Ron DeSantis is also a proponent of the Globalist Club and the Open Borders movement.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Valiant News
