In the eyes of the mainstream right, he should represent an alternative to Donald Trump. But the campaign of Republican Ron DeSantis for the White House suffered one failure after another, writes AFP.

Here’s a look at his first month of campaigning.

Failure with Twitter and Musk

It was supposed to be an innovative and dynamic launch. For his entry into the Republican presidential campaign at the end of May, the governor of Florida promised the first ever live broadcast on Twitter, which will be moderated by Elon Musk.

It was a way for the 40-year-old to be seen as a breath of fresh air for his main rival for the Republican nomination, 77-year-old Donald Trump.

But the long-awaited event turned into a fiasco marked by a number of technical problems.

“You don’t have an open microphone”, “it’s a shame, it doesn’t usually happen”, etc., instead of the program that the governor of Florida tried to present, hundreds of thousands of users heard.

Lack of charisma?

Up for re-election as Florida governor in November 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis hopes to win over America with his tough stance on immigration, abortion and gender issues.

But on the field, this burly man is often criticized for his lack of charisma.

“DeSantis has fallen out of favor,” said Todd Belt, a political science professor at George Washington University. “He hasn’t been able to connect with voters,” who hardly see anything that differentiates him from Donald Trump, other than his more extreme ideas, he told AFP.

Falling in the polls…

The result is clear. The governor, who conservatives pinned their hopes on after their party’s disappointment in last year’s general election, now trails the former president by more than 30 points in the polls, according to data aggregator RealClearPolitics.

“The better people know him, the more he falls in the polls,” quipped Donald Trump this week on his Truth Social network.

The former president, embroiled in multiple investigations, has embarked on his third run for the White House, portraying himself as the victim of a Democratic-led “witch hunt,” a theory supported by many fans.

His historic indictment by a New York court? Then the federal indictment in Miami? The former New York businessman boasts that he made several million dollars from these events, which became the subject of dizzying media attention.

Ron DeSantis’ slide in the polls also benefits other Republican candidates chasing him, such as former Vice President Mike Pence. However, their chances of getting a nomination seem limited, AFP reports.

… but opportunities to get back on track

Don’t bury Ron DeSantis too quickly, his allies warn.

The battle for the Republican nomination has just begun, and the former Marine will have plenty of opportunity to make a comeback in the first primary scheduled for mid-January.

Starting with the first debate between the Republican opponents, scheduled for August 23. An opportunity for Ron DeSantis, who has never attacked Donald Trump head-on, to finally enter the arena.