Ron DeSantis' Campaign Is in Deep Trouble

Having previously been touted as the GOP's next presidential hopeful, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' White House bid has been floundering over the past few months, with even Republican figures casting doubt on the future of his campaign.

In late 2022, DeSantis was seen as the ready-made replacement for Donald Trump to lead the Republican party at the 2024 Election. The former president was widely blamed, including by those in the GOP, for the party's poor midterm performance, and continues to face prosecution in a string of criminal investigations.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference on the banks of the Rio Grande on June 26, 2023 in Eagle Pass, Texas. His White House bid has been floundering over the past few months, and now there's criticism of his new advert. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

However, DeSantis has failed to take advantage of Trump getting indicted in both the New York falsifying business records case and Special Counsel Jack Smith's classified documents investigation, where the former president has denied 37 charges respectively. DeSantis has not made any traction in the GOP primary polls while also seeing his favorabilty rating plummet.

Just 35.9 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of DeSantis, compared to 45.2 percent who say they view him unfavorably as of June 29, according to FiveThirtyEight's national average tracker, although experts point out the campaign is still in its early stages.

DeSantis's unfavorable rating among potential voters has been steadily rising since late March, when he recorded a split 39.3 percent favorable rating. This includes the time after he confirmed his 2024 bid in late May in an error-strewn Twitter Space online announcement.

DeSantis' favorability rating also arrives at a time when the Florida governor, who has signed several anti-LGBTQ laws during his tenure, was criticized by a Republican group for a presidential campaign advert as being "homophobic."

Newsweek has contacted DeSantis' office for comment via email.

The DeSantis War Room team released an advert on Friday, the last day of Pride month. It criticized Trump for comments he made in support of the LGBTQ+ community in the wake of the 2016 mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida, which left 49 people dead, and other supportive comments made by the former president.

The video then highlights the numerous anti-transgender bills DeSantis has signed into law in recent months, including those banning gender-affirming care for children.

The ad also shows headlines that describe DeSantis' bills as "draconian" and "dangerous." There are then clips of infamous fictional characters such as Patrick Bateman, the serial-killing main character played by Christian Bale in the 2000 American Psycho movie, which had been adapted from Bret Easton Ellis' controversial 1991 novel.

Log Cabin Republicans, the largest GOP organization representing LGBTQ+ individuals, accused the advert in a series of tweets of being "divisive and desperate," which will alienate "swing-state and younger voters."

"Conservatives understand that we need to protect our kids, preserve women's sports, safeguard women's spaces and strengthen parental rights, but Ron DeSantis' extreme rhetoric goes has just ventured into homophobic territory," the group tweeted.

"DeSantis' rhetoric will lose hard-fought gains in critical races across the nation. This old playbook has been tried in the past and has failed—repeatedly.

"Ron DeSantis and his team can't tell the difference between commonsense gays and the radical Left gays. He, sadly, sees them all the same. His naive policy positions are dangerous and politically stupid," the group added.

Christina Pushaw is the rapid response director for the 2024 presidential campaign of DeSantis. She tweeted on Friday night: "Opposing the federal recognition of 'Pride Month' isn't 'homophobic.' We wouldn't support a month to celebrate straight people for sexual orientation, either... It's unnecessary, divisive, pandering."

Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner, the Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete, transitioned to her new identity in 2015. She also features in the anti-LGBTQ+ advert. In a tweet, Jenner wrote DeSantis has "hit a new low" with the campaign.

"But he's so desperate he'll do anything to get ahead—that's been the theme of his campaign. You can't win a general, let alone 2028 by going after people that are integral parts of the conservative movement," Jenner tweeted.

DeSantis has hit a new low. But he’s so desperate he’ll do anything to get ahead - that’s been the theme of his campaign. You can’t win a general, let alone 2028 by going after people that are integral parts of the conservative movement! #MAGA https://t.co/92huAwXs7C — Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) July 1, 2023

The backlash to the ad arrived as DeSantis continues to trail behind Trump by double digits in GOP primary polls, even with the former president's legal difficulties.

Trump has come out on top in all the most recent surveys, according to FiveThirtyEight's collection of GOP primary polls. A YouGov poll conducted between June 24 and 27 showed the former president 27 points ahead of DeSantis (52 to 25 percent).

As of June 30, Trump leads the GOP primary on average with 51.8 percent, with DeSantis a distant second on 23.5 percent.

Speaking to CBS in late June, former Maryland Republican Governor Larry Hogan said DeSantis' campaign is "one of the worst I've seen so far, and he's dropped like a rock."

"I think it's getting close to being over," Hogan told weekly podcast The Takeout.

Also in late June Jeff Timmer, a senior adviser at the Lincoln Project, a Republican PAC consisting of Donald Trump critics, said that "Ron DeSantis is the worst candidate I've ever seen."

Trump himself has also criticized DeSantis' campaign while adding that the Florida governor is struggling in the polls.

"The DeSanctimonious campaign is DEAD!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 29. "His polls are dropping like a rock heading to Hell, and the DOJ/FBI are continuing their illegal and outrageous weaponization against me only because I am leading Biden by so much."

Recently, DeSantis sidestepped a question from Fox News' Martha MacCallum after she asked if he was "frustrated" by his poll numbers.

"Our mission is very simple," DeSantis said. "We're going to defeat Biden. We're going to get all this stuff done for the American people.

"No more excuses. Republicans need to win elections again, and we need to actually bring all these important issues from the border to crime, to the economy, in for a landing," he added.

Update, 3/7/23, 8:45 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Update, 3/7/23, 4:30 p.m. ET: The headline on this article was amended.