A top official from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Political Action Committee (PAC) acknowledged that the presidential hopeful lags behind former United States President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.
The spokesperson added that the Florida lawmaker faces an "uphill battle" as he trailed behind Trump in key nominating states. Furthermore, Steve Cortes, who previously supported the former president, also piled on more praise for the Republican businessman, calling him a "runaway frontrunner" and "maestro" of the debate.
Ron DeSantis Lags Behind Donald Trump
In a Twitter spaces event recorded on Sunday night, Cortes said that DeSantis was way behind in national polling. He also called the Florida governor's campaign the "clear underdog." Cortes noted that in the first four states, which were crucial, polls were much tighter, but they were still clearly down by double digits.
Cortes' remarks and acknowledgment are seen as a blunt admission of vulnerability from within the ranks of a leading presidential operation. It contrasts the projection of confidence that other DeSantis aides have taken, as per Politico.
On the other hand, Cortes said that he believes the gap between DeSantis and Trump could be closed after the former's personal and political story is shared more widely on the campaign trail. However, he also rationalized a primary campaign failure by the DeSantis campaign when it predicted healthy competition would benefit Trump in a general election.
When Cortes was asked about his comments regarding the situation, he said that Trump could debate through two successive presidential cycles, meaning he had much experience.
The spokesperson added, however, that the Florida governor could outperform expectations and inform large audiences regarding his amazing life, political record, and winning agenda for the presidency.
According to Yahoo News, Cortes argued that Trump's lead has gotten significantly greater after the indictments against him, primarily the recent one regarding classified documents taken to the former president's Mar-a-Lago estate.
GOP Nominee in the 2024 Presidential Election
The DeSantis PAC spokesperson was previously a senior advisor to the former president during the latter's 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns. But in May, he announced that he would be endorsing the Florida governor for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
Now, Cortes serves as an advisor and spokesman for the Never Back Down PAC, which supports the Florida governor for the Republican nomination. In an op-ed at the time that DeSantis was "the best possible option to win the presidency" and argued that the "America First movement" is larger than any one individual.
The situation comes as DeSantis and Trump, who were once allies, have become the fiercest of rivals to each other in their hopes of becoming the GOP nominee in the 2024 presidential election.
They previously shared stances on various issues, such as criticism of Democrats and arguing that medical experts did not do enough to curb the spread of the coronavirus. But now, both candidates claim that the other was too strict during the response to the COVID-19 health crisis, said CNN.
