According to reporting by NBC News, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be ready to run for President as early as mid-May.
The report cites four GOP operatives familiar with the discussions, with one source emphasizing that the official announcement would come shortly after an explanatory Committee.
Some of DeSantis supporters are calling for him to declare his entry as early as May 11 to counter the narrative that former President Donald Trump is the GOP’s front-runner for the 2024 primary nomination.
However, others in the Governor’s orbit have suggested that that date would be too early.
However, everyone emphasized that the goal is mid-May.
DeSantis, long considered Trump’s strongest Republican challenger in 2024, has traveled far outside of Florida in recent weeks to raise his profile.
But some of DeSantis’ allies have begun to question his readiness as his polls have been reduced and he is the victim of a series of self-inflicted injuries.
An imminent launch would help ease supporters’ growing anxiety that DeSantis is taking too long to jump into the fray and risk losing his moment.
In a clear sign DeSantis’s campaign is moving forward, national political vendors descended on Tallahassee this week to compete for work on DeSantis’ upcoming campaign.
One Florida Republican operative referenced the “influx” of national businesses in town in the last few days, noting the team feels like it’s adding staff, not cutting them.
Another GOP operative said the meetings mark the likely entry of DeSantis into the presidential election being sooner than some expect, although DeSantis has faced mounting headwinds in recent months.
