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12 OPINION Ron DeSantis: will he steal nomination from under mentor Donald Trump's nose? IS Ron DeSantis the heir appar- ent to Donald Trump? It sure looked like it on Tuesday. In a US midterm election that saw his Republican party underper- form nationally, DeSantis was the spectacular outlier, turn- ing in a dominant performance in Florida's governor race that turned heads among friends and foes alike. Most remarkable about De- Santis's win wasn't just his total margin of victory – a whopping 19 percentage points in a sup- posed "swing state". Instead, it was how he did it: making huge inroads in the Latino communi- ty, flipping previous Democratic strongholds and eclipsing the share of the vote achieved by the Republicans in 2020 – by double digits in some districts. Trump's grip on the Republi- can base is notoriously strong, and he remains the favourite to earn his party's nomination. But if DeSantis throws his hat in the ring for president in 2024, Re- publicans could soon be bracing for civil war. This would pit ul- tra-Trump loyalists against "es- tablishment" conservatives who think it's time for a fresh leader. Rise to stardom DeSantis was narrowly elected Florida governor in 2018, after serving six years in the US House of Representatives. A graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School, as well as a commissioned officer in the US Navy, DeSantis combines a reputation for wonkish intel- lectualism with a hard-charging penchant for pressing a hardline conservative agenda. As a "rising star" within con- servative circles, DeSantis ce- mented his reputation and rose to national prominence during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While many states shuttered businesses and closed schools, DeSantis bucked the trend – to great consternation and fanfare – by mostly keeping Florida open and being quick to lift restrictions. 'Culture warrior' More than anything, DeSan- tis has become a household name by leaning into America's "culture wars". He has framed himself as the ultimate bulwark against far-left "identity politics" that he alleges elevates race, gen- der, and sexual orientation over national unity. "Florida is where woke goes to die," he has de- clared. In March of this year, DeSan- tis made headlines for signing the Parental Rights in Education act, disparaged by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill. The law, which inspired "copycat" meas- ures in more than a dozen states, placed restrictions on lessons re- lated to LGBTQ+ issues for stu- dents in kindergarten through to the third grade (typically, ages 5-9 years old). DeSantis followed up this vic- tory in April by "punching Mick- ey Mouse in the face". The fight saw him eliminate Disney's "spe- cial tax district" after the state's biggest employer took a number of public stances – including against his Parental Rights in Education Act – that DeSantis claimed were overtly partisan. Also in April, DeSantis signed an anti-Critical Race Theory law. Dubbed the "Stop WOKE Act", the reform made it ille- gal for primary and secondary school instructors to teach about racial diversity and racism in a way that DeSantis described as "indoctrination and discrimina- tion". Traditional conservative Outside the cultural battlefield, DeSantis has governed largely as a "traditional" conservative. On the economy, he has advocat- ed low taxes, restrained spend- ing and corporate deregulation. Elsewhere, he has earned an A+ rating from the National Rife Association, supported revoking Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, and backed moderately pro- life positions on abortion. As governor of a southern state heavily affected by the mi- grant crisis, DeSantis has tak- en particularly tough stances against undocumented immi- gration – including "sanctuary cities", which generally neglect to enforce immigration laws. In September of this year, he became a flashpoint for contro- versy when, unannounced, he organised flying 50 migrants to Martha's Vineyard, a wealthy Massachusetts island, in a stunt designed to highlight the hy- pocrisy of liberal politicians. Challenger to Trump? Trump endorsed DeSantis for governor in 2018 – but the pair's relationship has grown icy of late. Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago residence is in Florida, said he voted for DeSantis in Tuesday's midterms. Yet he has also sent not-so-veiled threats toward his would-be opponent and, just days go, poked fun of "Ron DeSanctimonious" at a rally in Pennsylvania. Even if DeSantis runs for pres- ident in 2024 – and there's no guarantee he will – it's still hard to bet against Trump. As celeb- rity conservative anchor Megyn Kelly remarked: "Trump sucks up all the energy in every room." Many conservatives still fer- vently believe that Trump had the 2020 election stolen from him and that he's owed another run at the White House. To other Republicans, how- ever, DeSantis is precisely what the party needs to make a clean break from Trump and to wid- en its electoral appeal. DeSantis has plenty of "Trumpian" qual- ities, such as his refusal to apol- ogise and a knack for "tough talk", especially on contentious issues such as gender politics. Yet he's seen as more palata- ble for voters who have qualms about Trump's character and aren't onboard with election de- nialism. DeSantis may or may not make a bid for the White House in 2024 – it's reported that he al- ready has a "war chest" of about US$200 million if he does. Re- gardless, he's a force to be reck- oned with inside the Republican party. The immediate risk for DeSantis: if he takes a headshot at Trump, he'd better win. In the no-holds-barred game of Trump v the World, Trump takes no prisoners. TheConversation.EU Thomas Gift maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 NOVEMBER 2022 Thomas Gift is Associate Professor And Director of the Centre on US Politics, UCL Donald Trump (left) and Ron DeSantis (right) are likely rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024