Most Americans expect Mike Pence to run for President in 2024.
But his chances of winning the Republican nomination are slim.
And former Congressman Joe Scarborough just admitted this one “rockstar” Governor is pushing Pence aside and taking over the Republican Party.
During an episode of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, former GOP Congressman Joe Scarborough talked about how different Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were received by the crowd at the recent Faith and Freedom Coalition Summit.
Even though the audience gave Mike Pence a respectful and polite reception, according to someone Scarborough talked to involved in GOP politics for decades, the crowd cheered Ron DeSantis with the approval of a “conquering king.”
“I asked, I said, how was Pence received? And they said, ‘Well, here’s the deal. It was respectful. They know Mike Pence. They’ve loved him for 20 years. He got three standing ovations.’ But it was muted. He would have had 15 standing ovations last year. He’s had a long way to go, right? But then, this one person said, ‘But my God, you should have seen the response for Ron DeSantis. He was like a conquering king.’ And this person who’s been in Republican politics for 40, 45 years said, ‘I haven’t seen anything since Reagan in ‘80. He was unbelievable,” Scarborough stated.
Scarborough remarked that DeSantis looked like a new leader of the Republican Party.
“Ron DeSantis,” added Scarborough. “And I keep hearing this. Just rockstar status. This guy is taking over the Republican Party.”
Of course, there are numbers to back up Scarborough’s assertion.
During the recent Western Conservative Summit, Ron DeSantis, for the first time, received a higher approval rating in the event’s straw poll than Donald Trump.
DeSantis rose to popularity by keeping Florida open during most of the pandemic and opposing authoritarian mask mandates.
He’s also been leading the fight against vaccine mandates and to remove Marxist Critical Race Theory from Florida classrooms and universities.
But there’s still a long time left until 2024. And given that Trump and DeSantis are friends, should Trump decide to run, DeSantis will likely sit out and get behind Donald Trump.
Political Animal News will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.