DeSantis Hits Trump From The Right While The Ex-president Looks Ahead To The General Election

June 4, 2023 9:17 am

NEW YORK (AP) — In his first week on the campaign trail as a presidential candidate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly hit his chief rival, Donald Trump, from the right. DeSantis told a conservative radio host, “This is a different guy than 2015, 2016.” Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly attacked DeSantis from the left, suggesting Florida’s new six-week abortion ban is “too harsh” and arguing DeSantis’ votes to cut Social Security and Medicare in Congress will make him unelectable in a general election. The attacks underscore the underlying early dynamic of the race: As DeSantis tries to win over GOP primary voters and chip away at Trump’s commanding lead, Trump is trying to pivot to the general election.