Ron DeSantis is venturing outside of Florida with stops in Ohio and New Hampshire after recent fumbles in the national glare left the Florida governor and 2024 presidential hopeful further behind Donald Trump in polls.
DeSantis, widely expected to enter the Republican nomination contest sometime after the Florida legislative session ends in May, is the featured speaker at county GOP events in Akron and suburban Cincinnati on Thursday and at a New Hampshire Republican Party dinner on Friday in Manchester. New Hampshire is an early Republican primary voting state.
Considered to be the most formidable potential primary challenger to Trump, he faltered while trying to articulate his stance on U.S. aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia and to effectively respond to Trump’s incessant attacks. DeSantis, a Yale University and Harvard Law graduate, has sought to carve out a lane as someone who has policies similar to Trump’s, sans the drama and political baggage.
