Trump’s Competitors Seek to Set Themselves Apart Without Scorning MAGA

News Analysis

As more Republicans challenge Donald Trump in the race for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, the former president’s dramatic impact on the GOP is becoming clearer.

Everyone, Vivek Ramaswamy to Nikki Haley, has attempted to make connections. “America First,” As they court Trump’s Make America Great Again movement (MAGA).

The task ahead of Republicans hopefuls is daunting. They must be different from Trump, woo his supporters and mount campaigns that are viable in the general election.

How are Trump’s competitors trying to set themselves apart from the former president—and how can they do so without alienating his fiercely loyal base?

Although it is still early days, certain patterns are already being established.

DeSantis’s Delicate Dance

Florida Governor. Although Ron DeSantis has not yet made a commitment to a primary bid in Florida, he is widely considered Trump’s strongest 2024 rival.

Despite Trump’s digs at Florida governor, he has not responded to them. However, his anonymous online supporters have come out to support him.

Paul Ingrassia is a Trump Administration veteran who is now studying at Cornell Law School. He told The Epoch Times DeSantis has relied upon him. “digital acolytes” Because he hasn’t yet joined the race, we will fight for him.

“He wants to have these other guys do his dirty work for him while remaining above the fray,” Ingrassia was a vocal Trump supporter online and spoke out in a March 13 interview.

“People in the Trump orbit several months ago decided their best strategy would be to charge hard at former Trump supporters who’ve publicly aligned with DeSantis, in an effort to intimidate us into silence,” David Reaboi is a well-known DeSantis advocate and political consultant.

“This is crucial to their effort because they’re terrified of more people peeling off and abandoning Trump for a far more sane option—one who’s far more likely to succeed on every issue of policy.”

Both men seem to agree that DeSantis has been positioned as Trump’s competent alternative. DeSantis’s often critical stance on COVID-19 could also be what separates him from Trump.

Florida’s surgeon-general has called attention to adverse events that are linked to the COVID-19 shots, which were made available as a result Trump’s actions. “Operation Warp Speed.” That elicited a critical reaction from U.S. health authorities.

Ingrassia points to the fact that most people have taken at least one COVID-19 dose. DeSantis’s messaging on the topic may not resonate with the majority of the population, even though it resonates with Republican primary voters.

DeSantis, added he. “was just as much of a rule follower during the early months of COVID as anyone.”

“As more time goes on, the vaccine will be an increasing political liability—as will Trump’s outsourcing of COVID to the expert class,” Reaboi said.

“Picking a fight on COVID policy with Ron DeSantis, of all people, is inadvisable.”

Ramaswamy’s ‘America First 2.0′

Ramaswamy (a venture capitalist) has clearly positioned his campaign as the next evolution in Trump-inspired politics.

He calls his platform “America First 2.0.” His priorities include ending affirmative actions, separating from China and rejecting central bank digital currencies.

“I respect a lot of what President Trump did,” Ramaswamy spoke to The Epoch Times during a February 23 interview. “He acknowledged problems in this country on both sides of the aisle that no one else had acknowledged before him. The question is where we go from here.”

Reaboi stated that he does not have a stance on Ramaswamy.

“I understand that people do this for name recognition or to fleece some money off of gullible donors, but just about any other use of their money, focus, and time would be better spent in policy activism or building institutions to nurture and support a new cadre of policy professionals,” He stated.

Ingrassia believes Ramaswamy could fall short of Trump no matter how powerful his message. “the more educated faction of the GOP.”

“I think he’s in over his head,” Ingrassia stated.

Pompeo Criticizes ‘Larger-Than-Life Personalities’

Mike Pompeo is another figure who sets himself apart from Trump.

The ex-secretary of state and CIA Director, who stated he was considering a run, could make a strong case for himself, as a long-standing critic of the Chinese Communist Party. Democrats and Republicans are now uniting against the CCP, which is a sign of concerns raised by China watchers in the past.

Pompeo claimed that America is at its best in March 2003 speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference. “greatest threats are here,” It is not possible to do so abroad.

He made anti-Trump comments and said that conservatives were his enemies. “should not look for larger-than-life personalities.”

“Over the last few years, I’ve heard some who have claimed to be conservative excuse hypocrisy by saying something like, ‘Well, we’re electing a president, not a Sunday school teacher.’ That’s true. But having taught Sunday school, maybe we could get both,” He addressed the CPAC audience.

Pompeo, in an interview with the Washington Examiner on March 10, stated that he still prays for his wife about running.

“There is still plenty of time,” He stated.

Haley Stresses Demographics

Former South Carolina Governor. Nikki Haley’s campaign has been built on her relative youth and other demographic specifics.

“We won’t win the fight for the 21st century if we keep trusting politicians from the 20th century,” Haley, 51 years old, made these remarks during her February South Carolina launch speech.

“The liberal media’s heads are exploding about my run for president,” In her speech to CPAC on March 4, she stated these words. “I’m a woman, I’m a minority, and I’m the daughter of immigrants!”

Ukraine’s War on the Field

Trump’s foreign policy is also what sets him apart from his predecessors. Trump’s message of relative restraint, attention to the national interests, and after decades of GOP hawkishness during World War II found a friendly audience at the right.

Many of Trump’s 2024 counterparts sound similar to Trump on peace and war. Others have remained more conservative Republican positions.

Fox News’ March 13 segment “Tucker Carlson Tonight” This is clearly illustrated.

Carlson asked 2024 Republican hopefuls many questions about Ukraine.

Carlson was told by Trump that the United States should not back Russia’s regime change. “we should support regime change in the United States.”

Carlson was informed by DeSantis “becoming further entangled” It’s not in America’s best interest to be involved in this conflict. It was also called a “territorial dispute,” Many Never Trump conservatives and ex-conservatives were furious at this language, which they consider too friendly to Russia given its invasion of Ukraine.

“Astonishing. Dangerous,” The New York Times’ David French wrote on Twitter.

“DeSantis betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of a crucial issue,” Jay Nordlinger of National Review also wrote on Twitter.

Michael Tracey, a journalist, said that DeSantis’s language was unacceptable. “has no necessary connection to any concrete policy position,” It was said that the positions of the Florida governor resembled those of President Joe Biden.

Ramaswamy also opposes more U.S. involvement in the war. Ramaswamy stated that European countries should pay more as Russia is more their problem then ours.

“It’s in their backyard, it’s their borders,” He wrote. “We can’t be the nanny of Europe forever.”

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also rejected the status-quo in Ukraine.

Some 2024 More Hopefuls Hawkish

Pence, Trump’s vice president, sang a totally different tune.

“There is no room for Putin apologists in the Republican Party,” He told Carlson.

Reply from Sen. Tim Scott (R.S.C.) & former New Jersey Governor. Chris Christie and Sen. Tim Scott were also on the hawkish end.

Carlson claims that John Bolton, the former Trump national security advisor, said he was currently busy while Pompeo and other people didn’t reply. Bolton’s possible candidacy stems in large part from his concerns about Trump.

“If I did decide to run, it would not be as a one-issue candidate. It would be to win,” He spoke with The Washington Post in February.

Haley stated that the United States is interested in opposing Russia in a statement he made on March 14, responding to Carlson’s questions.