Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has finally decided to stop playing defense and has launched his first attacks against his main political rival, former President Trump. Defeating Trump in the primaries requires toughness, not passivity. DeSantis is actually serious about defeating President Biden in 2024, whereas Trump is not.

In a recent interview with Piers Morgan, DeSantis made it clear that he has what it takes to be President of the United States and that he can defeat Biden. For the past few months, DeSantis has been refusing to respond to Trump’s baseless attacks against him. This strategy has so far proven to backfire for DeSantis as it has allowed Trump’s lies to stand unanswered.

Trump is repeating his 2016 GOP primary strategy by labeling his opponents with nicknames that he hopes will energize his base to support him. Trump’s nicknames for DeSantis have been “Ron DeSanctimonious” and “Meatball Ron,” both of which are pathetic labels that do nothing to advance his own cause.

In his interview with Piers Morgan, Ron DeSantis presented a clear moral contrast between himself and Donald Trump. DeSantis criticized Trump’s character and leadership style. As President, Trump’s leadership was at many times chaotic in that the turnover rate for his cabinet and White House staff was extraordinarily high. Trump does not have the discipline or moral judgment to run a successful administration, whereas DeSantis has proven himself to represent the contrary.

DeSantis puts points on the board for his conservative legislative agenda in Florida without having to deal with daily drama within his own administration, which is evidence of strong political leadership skills. Trump claims DeSantis deserves no credit for the successes of the state of Florida even though he has overseen the fastest rate of population growth in state history.

DeSantis also responded directly to Trump’s baseless attacks by noting that he is not only a tangible winner but is also not currently the subject of four criminal investigations.

DeSantis won re-election as Florida Governor in 2022 by 1.5 million votes. It was a clear validation of the governor’s leadership by Florida voters. The country needs this kind of leadership in the White House beginning January 20, 2025. The GOP nominee needs to be a proven winner with a bold vision who can also defeat the incumbent president. Trump’s unpopularity across the country has resulted in many losses for the GOP in recent elections, especially due to many of the candidates he endorsed. Trump would undoubtedly lose to Biden in a 2024 rematch, which is why GOP voters should nominate a formidable candidate like DeSantis or another similar proven leader. 

The survival of the Republican Party as a legitimate political vehicle for conservative solutions in the United States depends on nominating a presidential candidate with the leadership skills needed to win. A renomination of Donald Trump would be a political disaster for the GOP and an enormous blow to the conservative movement.