After starting the year polling almost even with former U.S. President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis began losing ground in March and continued sinking through the spring.
Notably, the decline began before Trump’s first indictment. A July Economist/YouGovAmerica poll shows Trump at 49% and DeSantis at 20% in a multicandidate Republican primary, which is similar to the polling averages. A Morning Consult poll released recently has Trump at a hefty 56% and DeSantis at a dismal 17%.
Fortunes can still change. The complaints about the DeSantis campaign often sound generic. He lacks the special sauce to catapult from statewide office to the presidency. He has no charisma. His staff isn’t presidential caliber. His message is too insular and online.