Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visits Japan. Asked by a Wall Street Journal reporter Monday about polls showing him trailing former President Donald Trump, DeSantis shrugged, saying, “I’m not a candidate, so let’s see if that changes.”
DeSantis is on an international trade mission this week that will also include trips to South Korea, Israel and the UK.
The trip will give him the opportunity to broaden his foreign policy skills, something that is usually a small part of a governor’s portfolio. Business Insider reports.
The governor met Japan’s prime minister on Monday and said the country “has been a great ally” to the United States. “I think a strong Japan is good for America, and I think a strong America is good for Japan,” DeSantis added.
Poll, Trump and DeSantis
A lot has changed for DeSantis in the last few months. In December, he had a 14 point lead over Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal poll.
- Today, he has a deficit of 13 points. Recent opinion polls show Trump leading DeSantis 51% to 38% among Republican primary voters, Business Insider reports.
- It added that, last week, several members of the Florida delegation in Congress supported Trump and only one representative supported DeSantis.
- Even as he slips in the polls, DeSantis is the only candidate trailing behind Trump in second-place polls when it comes to the hypothetical ballot.
As well as Trump, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, radio host Larry Elder and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley have announced they are running for president.
South Carolina Senator Tim Scott recently launched an exploratory committee. On the other hand, former Vice President Mike Pence is expected to announce his candidacy decision in the coming weeks.
As for DeSantis, it’s expected that he will announce his candidacy when Florida ends its legislative session in May. However, some allies fear the governor will be waiting so long to make an announcement, the AP reports.
Trump’s court scandal, which has brought him media attention, plus attacks on the governor could affect DeSantis’ image among voters.
On the other hand, some donors are concerned that DeSantis is moving too far to the right with a ban on abortion and school books. His conflict with the Disney company has been criticized by Republicans, who tend to be more company friendly.
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