There was only one big beast at a parade of would-be Republican candidates for president in Las Vegas at the weekend, although plenty of smaller creatures showed off their wares. Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, received several standing ovations for his address to the Republican Jewish Coalition leadership conference. The king of the MAGA jungle, Donald Trump, was received warmly but had only been asked to appear at the last minute on video.
The two prize-fighters began as allies but are now worlds apart. At 44, DeSantis is 32 years younger than Trump, with a glamorous wife, Casey, a former TV news presenter, and three children who seem made for the role of future “first family”. DeSantis is by no means Trump’s rival as an orator, yet he owned the stage in Las Vegas after winning re-election in Florida. As for Trump, his handpicked Republican candidates fell like ninepins in the midterms.
