Ron DeSantis is facing some of his worst-ever favorability ratings at a time when the 2024 hopeful desperately needs a boost to his presidential campaign.
According to FiveThirtyEight's national average poll tracker of DeSantis' favorability ratings, the Republican currently is currently viewed favorably by 44.2 percent of the population, with 48.7 percent viewing the governor unfavorably.
The +14.5 net unfavorability rating of DeSantis is only slightly below his all-time record of +14.9, recorded by FiveThirtyEight on August 22.
The current near-record-high levels DeSantis is experiencing follows a worrying trend for the Florida governor, who has seen his unfavorability ratings steadily rise constantly since late March. DeSantis would be hoping that the trend does not continue, with the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucus taking place in just four months. DeSantis' office has been emailed for comment.
DeSantis, who at one time was seen as the ideal replacement for Donald Trump to lead the GOP heading into 2024, has continually struggled to gain any sort of momentum in his campaign. Polls frequently show Trump with an overwhelming lead over DeSantis and the other Republican 2024 hopefuls, despite the former president's ongoing legal issues.
The Florida governor may take some solace in the knowledge that Trump is currently recording a higher net unfavorability rating, even if the former president is way ahead in the GOP primary polls. According to FiveThirtyEight, the former president currently has a +16.3 net unfavorable rating.
The first televised Republican primary debate—which Trump missed, citing the lack of need because of his polling numbers—was seen as a way for DeSantis to give his campaign a much-needed boost.
However, DeSantis allowed political newcomer Vivek Ramaswamy to take center stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while giving a solid, if unmemorable, performance that analysts argued was a missed opportunity for the Florida governor.
Bookmaker Betfair said that DeSantis is still the second favorite in the GOP primary, and his chances have even marginally improved recently, but Trump is still odds-on favorite (40/85) to win the Republican nomination next year.
"Ron DeSantis is Donald Trump's closest rival to becoming the Republican nominee for the 2024 US Election, with the Florida governor 15/2 to rival the Democrats next year, despite his falling poll numbers," Betfair Exchange spokesperson Sam Rosbottom told Newsweek.
"In fact, DeSantis' odds have come in to 15/2 from 11/1 in the past few weeks, while Vivek Ramaswamy's chances have drifted to 15/1 from 9/1."
Trump, who has repeatedly mocked and attacked DeSantis, previously pushed an unsubstantiated claim that the Florida governor is considering pulling out of the race because of his "poll numbers have absolutely crashed."
DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin described the suggestion from Trump as "fake news" in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
"Clearly, Donald Trump and his army of consultants are panicked about Ron DeSantis' winning debate performance and the strong momentum that has followed," Griffin said.
"They know this is a two-man race, and we will carry this on to a win in this presidential primary. Instead of pushing fake news from New Jersey, the Trump campaign should be focused on getting their candidate on the campaign trail in Iowa and on the debate stage before it's too late."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
