Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) shrugged off recent polling that showed him losing ground against his top likely 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump.
“I’m not a candidate, so we’ll see if and when that changes,” DeSantis told reporters during a trip in Japan on Monday.
MAJORITY OF VOTERS DISAPPROVE OF BIDEN OR TRUMP RUNNING IN 2024: POLL
“I’m not a candidate, so we’ll see if and when that changes,” Gov. DeSantis, who is in Japan right now, says when asked about polls that show him falling behind Trump. pic.twitter.com/nDVeyBoVHN
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 24, 2023
Trump’s edge over DeSantis has widened in most polling, seemingly catalyzed by his indictment last month. On March 31, Trump had a 45.9% to 30.1% lead, according to the RealClearPolitics polling aggregate at the time. Now, that lead has jumped to 52.4% to 23.4% over DeSantis.
During that time, DeSantis was entangled with a few controversies, including the fallout from his description of the war in Ukraine as a “territorial dispute” made earlier in March and a battle with Disney over the restructuring of the company’s central Florida district.
Still, DeSantis remains Trump’s chief likely rival in a hypothetical GOP field. Although not in the race, he has crisscrossed the country, rolling through early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire as he contemplates a 2024 run.
He is on an overseas trip billed as an “international trade mission” on behalf of Enterprise Florida, with the stated goal of strengthening the Sunshine State’s economic ties abroad. But 2024 undertones linger over the trip, which is set to feature stops in Japan, South Korea, Israel, and the United Kingdom.
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On his first stop in Japan on Monday, DeSantis met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and discussed national security concerns, including the situation with North Korea and China. He also touted his home state of Florida.
DeSantis has indicated he will unveil his 2024 intentions after the Florida legislature wraps up its sessions at the end of May.
