A Centennial Institute straw poll taken at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver on Saturday saw Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis top former President Donald Trump as an approved Republican presidential candidate in the 2024 election.
DeSantis gained 74.12 percent support, while Trump trailed behind with 71.48 percent.
After DeSantis and Trump, the remaining candidates trailed significantly further behind. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz gained 42.86 percent support, Mike Pompeo gained 39.35, and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott gained 35.58 percent.
DeSantis Is Deploying Law Enforcement To The Border
DeSantis leads the pack amid his decision to send state law enforcement officials to the U.S.-Mexico border to aid in the crisis that is leading to a surge in migrants in Texas and Arizona.
As reported by Breitbart, DeSantis took aim at President Joe Biden’s administration and its approach to the border crisis.
“America’s border security crisis impacts every state and every American. The Biden Administration ended policies implemented by President Trump that were curbing illegal immigration, securing our border, and keeping Americans safe.”
DeSantis Previously Came Second To Trump
DeSantis previously came second to Trump in a February straw poll taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
As reported by The Independent, Trump gained 55 percent of the votes, while DeSantis lagged far behind with 22 percent. However, when Trump was excluded from the survey, DeSantis gained 41 percent support.
DeSantis has been an outspoken Trump ally throughout the coronavirus pandemic and opposed the lockdown measures that were implemented in various states, the majority of which were led by Democratic governors.
DeSantis Has Not Committed To A 2024 Run
DeSantis is up for a second term as Florida governor in 2022 and has not committed to a 2024 presidential bid, The Daily Mail reported.
“Democrats are already using the 2024 reports against him, arguing to Florida voters that, if they give DeSantis a second term, he will immediately pivot to a White House race,” the outlet wrote.
As The Inquisitr reported, Trump previously floated DeSantis as a running mate for a possible 2024 run.
“Well, he’s a friend of mine. I endorsed Ron. And after I endorsed him, he took off like a rocket ship. He’s done a great job as governor,” he said during an interview with Fox Business.
Trump Might Not Seek A Second Term
Amid speculation of 2024 Republican Party presidential contenders, Trump has still not committed to running for a second term.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Trump praised DeSantis in June when touching on the possibility of swapping him with former Vice President Mike Pence.
“I know him very well. He’s a great guy,” Trump said on Fox News.
According to Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, DeSantis would not challenge the real estate mogul if he chose to run for the White House again in 2024.
