For those of you who don’t know yet, donald trump I would be the first to say that it was his endorsement that drove the House of Representatives at the time. Ron DeSantis He came out on top in the 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary. And Trump isn’t trying to get the re-elected governor to forget it either. But after a staggering fundraising record set by DeSantis during the 2022 election cycle, DeSantis said Trump helped him raise a cool $200 million or so. I may be obliged to thank you again.
However, Trump’s support wasn’t exactly intentional.
DeSantis’ funding was ‘right’ in 2019 and 2020
10 months, just weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic Joe Biden Despite appearing to have beaten Trump in the 2020 presidential election, DeSantis’ reelection fundraising efforts are “just right.” By that point, he had amassed a sizeable amount of cash ($9 million). This was seen by astute political observers as a healthy but not overly impressive sum.Given that Charlie Christ The Political Commission just finished the 2022 cycle with a total of about $13 million.
But in January 2021, something, perhaps everything, changed.
Inflection point on January 6
DeSantis’ fundraising suddenly exploded as the public was stunned by what happened on January 6 in Washington, DC. And it was no coincidence. For his first four months of the year, Democrats denied the election and most Republicans wanted to know what happened, at least personally, but Ron DeSantis’ Friends Committee He raised a whopping $23 million. Amount raised in the last 26 months.
what happened?
Most notably, these huge cashes didn’t just come from Florida donors eager to gain clout in Tallahassee. We raised dollars and deposited $44 million in the bank, less than half (47%) of which came from out-of-state donors. People who don’t need clout in Tallahassee.
DeSantis averts Jan. 6 controversy, runs post-pandemic record
The money was flowing rapidly and furiously, especially in the aftermath of January 6th, with significant amounts coming from a network of major GOP donors who saw DeSantis as the most viable Trump alternative. DeSantis has not only shown strong leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, but has also benefited from the fact that Florida has grown a lot for Trump in 2020. The integrity of the election process and what they thought voter fraud played a role in Trump’s defeat.
A much better alternative and an easy choice for DeSantis. Avoid controversy altogether. Frankly, Florida’s election process is going smoothly and it should be a model for the country.
This contrasts with other Republicans on the national stage who have been forced to tap-dance for both Trump and his enthusiastic base, facing tough questions from journalists trying to pin them to the record. DeSantis sidestepped the awkwardness of having to juggle the needle between following Trumpian policy and being classified as an “election denier.” Instead, he was able to stick his chest out and declare that Florida had done the right thing and contributed to Trump, keeping the base off his back. It put him in a unique position as a strong conservative leader without baggage dragging his message.
From the perspective of a major Republican donor or business executive looking for a viable alternative to a badly wounded Trump, DeSantis stood head and shoulders above his fellow governors and senators. During the first few weeks, something decidedly settled in the minds of the Republican party’s richest benefactors. Big checks started rolling in, DeSantis’ war chest ballooned to horrific size, and Democrats across the country were forced to seriously consider the rapidly developing situation in Florida.
Ultimately, Democrats decided they were better off investing their dollars elsewhere, leaving Charlie Christ. Val Demings And a number of vulnerable no-vote candidates are blowing in the wind. For that, Republicans need to thank Trump again. This time, it was his inadvertent help in turning Ron DeSantis into a viable political force nationally, and thanks to that fundraising and election, the Republicans will score a historic victory on Tuesday night. is ready.
