[Hoot Gibson]

Ron DeSantis has grown the Republican Party's majority because of his outstanding job performance - especially his handling of the pandemic. Most of the people who have migrated to Florida since the onset of the COVID pandemic registered as Republicans. Thanks mainly to Gov. DeSantis, Florida is no longer a battleground state. Donald Trump may have helped DeSantis get elected the first time, but it is ridiculous for anybody to expect DeSantis to sit out the 2024 election as if he owes his entire political career to Trump. 

If Trump runs his typical sleazy, burnt-earth primary campaign against DeSantis, then it could easily cost him the state of Florida if he wins the nomination.

I personally do not think that Trump can win the general election in 2024. He narrowly beat Hillary Clinton, the weakest Democrat presidential candidate in history before Joe Biden, and then he narrowly defeated (or lost to) Biden in 2020. If Democrats run anybody but Biden in 2024, then I don't think Trump has a chance in the general election. Fair or not (I think not), if any state criminal charges are filed against Trump, it will have a big impact on his electability.

Even without being saddled with the burden of defending himself against criminal charges, Trump still has a less than stellar record leading the COVID fight, shoulder to shoulder with Anthony Fauci to defend. Biden has a much worse record to defend but the media will help him defend it and Democrats have a high tolerance for incompetent, corrupt politicians.