More fear than harm. Republican Florida Governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis was in a car accident on Tuesday on his way to a campaign event in Tennessee, a spokesperson told AFP.
Donald Trump’s rival, who was en route to Chattanooga, was not injured, according to Bryan Griffin. “We appreciate the prayers and wishes of the nation for its continued protection during the election campaign,” he added, without giving further details on the collision.
Ron DeSantis, 44, triumphantly re-elected as head of Florida in November 2022, hopes to seduce voters with his shocking positions on immigration, abortion or gender issues.
Failed start of campaign
If he was seen after the November midterms as a real danger for Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis is struggling to confirm for the moment. His entry into the campaign for the Republican primary was a fiasco, the live organized on Twitter having been parasitized by technical problems. And he is often criticized for a lack of charisma. In recent weeks, he has shuffled his squads in an attempt to revive himself.
Former President Donald Trump leads him by about 33 points on average in national polls, as many candidates prepare for the first debate to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 23.
But even if he has lost 12 points since January, Ron DeSantis, at 18.5%, remains in the best position if ever Donald Trump were to be excluded from the race due to his legal problems. According to the national average from polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight, former Vice President Mike Pence is a distant second at 5.6%.