Right Now, Ron DeSantis Lacks the Killer Spirit to Vanquish Trump

Is Ron DeSantis not yet ready for prime time? His performance over the last couple of weeks has not instilled confidence. We’ve watched him flip-flop on everything from cutting entitlement programs, to his support of Ukraine. We have also seen Trump belittle him with nicknames like “Ron DeSanctimonious” and “Meatball Ron,” not to mention implying that he’s a “groomer.” (DeSantis also just denied an anecdote in a Daily Beast report that he once ate pudding with three fingers on a private flight. Gross.)

This erratic behavior seems to have left a mark. As The New York Times’ Nate Cohn wrote last week, “In surveys taken since the Trump offensive began two months ago, Mr. DeSantis, the Florida governor, has steadily lost ground against Mr. Trump, whose own numbers have increased.” And that was before DeSantis tried to have it both ways regarding the potential arrest of Donald Trump. (He criticized the prosecutor, while adding, “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair.”)

But I’m more moved by what is admittedly anecdotal: the vibes. Watch a clip of DeSantis’ recent interview with Piers Morgan, and he suddenly seems mortal. Common. He lacks the charisma and confidence that we see when he controls the setting and lectures Florida reporters.

Read more at The Daily Beast.