DeSantis gambles on evangelicals in GOP primaries.

Governor Ron DeSantis: The Better Version of Trump?

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has worked to position himself as a better version of Donald Trump, but he’ll lean on key differences with The Donald to court one of the GOP’s most important voting blocs.

DeSantis is making waves in the Republican party by embracing a firm pro-life policy stance and highlighting his status as a solid family man. These key differences with Trump could help him win over one of the GOP’s most important voting blocs: conservative evangelicals.

Standing Up for the Family and Children

“One of the things I’m most proud of is that the state of Florida stands unequivocally in defense of the family and in defense of our children,” DeSantis told a gathering of Christian broadcasters. “And we have done more to protect children than any state in the country.”

DeSantis’s embrace of a six-week abortion ban is a sharp contrast with Trump, who has kept his distance from the issue by embracing a hands-off “states right” stance. In addition to his pro-life stance, DeSantis has also touted Florida legislation that increases support for a pregnancy support services program and gives parents greater access to and influence in local schools.

• DeSantis is a military veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy as a legal adviser to SEAL Team One before being deployed to Iraq.
• DeSantis remains married to his first wife, Casey DeSantis, in contrast to the thrice-divorced Trump.

These factors could aid the Florida governor to an extent, but he must be careful about bringing them up. DeSantis can talk about his military service, but he has to wait for the occasion to come to him rather than being proactive about it. When it comes to his family, DeSantis would do best simply being seen and photographed with them rather than bringing the issue up directly.

DeSantis has alluded to Trump’s moral failures before, reacting to the Manhattan district attorney’s charges against Trump by saying he doesn’t know much about “paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair.” That led to a harsh response from Trump, who hasn’t stopped attacking DeSantis since and has been widening his lead in the polls.

Other candidates have attacked DeSantis as well, including former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) and even President Joe Biden. DeSantis has mostly shied away from punching back directly, but that could change now that he’s officially in the race.

DeSantis is a Catholic himself and alluded to the battle ahead by quoting from the New Testament’s Book of Ephesians during his Monday speech. “Get ready. Put on the full armor of God,” he said. “Stand up for your faith, and don’t ever, ever back down.”

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