‘Traitor’: After bitter primary, DeSantis may struggle to win over Trump supporters if he runs again

By JILL COLVIN
Associated Press

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Before launching his ill-fated campaign for the White House, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was a star. Again and again, Republican voters said they saw DeSantis as the future of the party. But after a bitter scorched-earth primary in which former President Donald Trump pounded DeSantis viciously for the better part of a year, interviews with voters across early-voting states suggest the Florida governor may have an uphill battle if he chooses to run for president again in 2028. Many Trump supporters not only dislike DeSantis but also feel personally and viscerally betrayed by him for running against Trump. Those Trump supporters say they would never consider DeSantis for office again.