Amid rumors about the 2024 presidential campaign, some forecasters have labeled Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a “Trump-Lite” candidate. They suggest that DeSantis will pursue the same policies as Trump, but without Trump’s drama. However, a Trump-Lite president will not be able to meet the challenges facing the nation. What America really needs is Trump-Plus. Could DeSantis take up that mantle?
Illegal border crossings, the trade deficit with China and overdose deaths are worse today than when Trump was elected president in 2016. Inflation makes it harder for families to make ends meet. Most urban centers now reek of urine and skunk marijuana. Federal law enforcement stopped targeting political opponents in favor of parents attending school board meetings. Washington pursues an energy policy that raises prices while strengthening the position of our opponents.
These problems require a more thoughtful approach than Trump has demonstrated throughout his years in office. While Trump delivered the necessary wake-up call and positive change in 2016, his lack of attention to detail and personnel choices show why another Trump term would be disappointing. This is if he ever managed to get re-elected.
Nowhere were Trump’s shortcomings more apparent than in outsourcing the management of the Covid-19 pandemic to Dr. Fauci. As the country shut down in March 2020, Trump said of Fauci:[h]e became a major TV star for the right reasonsThe media’s adulation of Fauci appears to have impacted Trump’s ability to lead decisively in a crisis. Meanwhile, DeSantis has delved into the science of Covid-19 and focused on those to whom it poses the greatest threat. By September 2020, DeSantis was already doing so well – familiar with the COVID literature that Stanford University medical professor Jay Bhattacharya suggested that DeSantis understood the science of COVID as well as epidemiologists he did. It’s strenuous to imagine Trump having the discipline or ability to “dig down” into the science of Covid-19. Perhaps if that were the case, he would fire Fauci and put better people in charge of managing the crisis.
Trump showed similar naivety when he appointed Mark Milley as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Trump’s nominee defended: before Congress, teaching critical race theory at West Point. Milley also spoke after waking up, saying he wanted to understand what he called “white rage.” As with his subordination to Fauci, Trump, by elevating Milley, has demonstrated an inability to critically evaluate those to whom he has placed power.
Unlike Trump, DeSantis has more relevant experience to fix a military that is losing its way and missing recruiting goals. As a veteran, DeSantis better understands the ceremonial duties of commander in chief. During our years in Congress, Ron was one of twenty members who joined me in visiting Arlington National Cemetery on the Thursday before Memorial Day. These were particularly reflective moments for him, as he recognized that this was the highest price that so many had paid. That’s a benchmark that Trump simply doesn’t have. DeSantis’ military experience, which includes tours in Iraq and Guantanamo, certainly needs to be considered as Republicans look for a Trump-backed candidate to lead the rebuilding of our armed forces.
Fauci and Milley weren’t Trump’s only personnel mistakes. His failures with so many nominations were exposed during a recent interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier. Baier reminded Trump that as a candidate he pledged to surround himself with “the best and most serious people.” But now Trump is mocking his former nominees, using epithets such as “ruthless pig,” “weak and ineffective, born with very little brain,” “born loser” and “dumb as a rock.” However, DeSantis has demonstrated a remarkable ability to hire the right people to make Florida a success story.
Beyond the nomination and delving into policy details, Republicans should consider whether DeSantis could be Trump-Plus in other respects. For example, DeSantis seems to have his family priorities right. As he led the nation’s third-largest state through unprecedented challenges, he made sure he was there for his wife, Casey, who was literally fighting the fight of her life. While Casey was undergoing treatment for breast cancer, DeSantis found time to be with her while his leftist opponents criticized him for unavailability. Moreover, DeSantis can authentically claim a Central American upbringing. His parents hail from the rust-covered towns of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and Youngstown, Ohio, and raised their son in a middle-class community in Dunedin, Florida. While Trump may tell stories about the Rust Belt, these stories are part of the DeSantis family history.
America is different than it was in 2016, and if we are to ensure freedom and opportunity for the next generation, we need a president with a different set of skills. While President Trump accomplished much in the behind schedule 2010s, a leader with additional talents will be needed in the 2020s. In the coming months, Republicans will have an opportunity to evaluate whether Ron DeSantis can meet this standard.
Keith Rothfus represented Pennsylvania’s Twelfth Congressional District from 2013 to 2019. He and his family live near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He’s on Twitter @KeithRothfus.
