Trump's chief pollster explains why Ron DeSantis may be 'inheriting' Trump's role in the GOP


It looks like the political future is bright for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), NBC News reports.
DeSantis may be a polarizing figure overall — it's safe to say he doesn't have many fans in the Democratic Party — but he does appear to have high approval marks across the board in the GOP. He's reportedly garnering interest from donors outside the Sunshine State, and even former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) says he's a "fan."
If DeSantis does decide to run for president in 2024, he'll likely get a boost thanks to his popularity among former President Donald Trump's supporters. Trump's chief pollster from 2016 and 2020, Tony Fabrizio, thinks DeSantis may be the one to fill the void if Trump doesn't take another shot at the White House. "When you look under the hood of those numbers," Fabrizio told NBC News, referring to a recent survey that showed DeSantis was neck and neck with former Vice President Mike Pence in a hypothetical Trump-less 2024 GOP primary, "DeSantis garners a lot of support from Trump voters in the absence of Trump."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fabrizio believes the coverage of DeSantis' controversial COVID-19 pandemic decisions helped fuel his national rise. "As the media beat him up as the anti-[New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D)] and DeSantis stood up for himself, voters liked that," Fabrizio said. "They associated that type of scrappiness and speaking your mind with Donald Trump. He is inheriting a lot of that." Read more at NBC News.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
The state of Britain's Armed Forces
The Explainer Geopolitical unrest and the unreliability of the Trump administration have led to a frantic re-evaluation of the UK's military capabilities
By The Week UK
-
Anti-anxiety drug has a not-too-surprising effect on fish
Under the radar The fish act bolder and riskier
By Devika Rao, The Week US
-
Crossword: April 21, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff
-
China accuses NSA of Winter Games cyberattacks
speed read China alleges that the U.S. National Security Agency launched cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Russian strike kills dozens in Ukraine
Speed Read The Sumy ballistic missile strike was Russia's deadliest attack on civilians this year
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
South Korea court removes impeached president
Speed Read The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol after his declaration of martial law in December
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Myanmar quake deaths rise as survivor search intensifies
speed read The magnitude-7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar has killed a documented 2,000 people so far, and left scores more trapped beneath rubble
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
Israel detains director after West Bank settler clash
speed read The director of Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' was arrested and beaten
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Turkey arrests Istanbul mayor, a top Erdogan rival
Speed Read Protests erupted in Turkey after authorities detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu
By Peter Weber, The Week US