Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Reuters
The first Republican primary debate on Wednesday could be Ron DeSantis’ last stand—or the start of his rebirth.
The stakes are high. No other non-Trump candidate has generated as much hope, scrutiny, controversy, or disappointment. As summer recedes and the primary debates kick-off, we enter a new phase. It’s not crazy to think that, unless things change fast—very fast—there will be mounting pressure for DeSantis to exit the race well before the first primary vote is cast.
This pressure would presumably come from non-Trump Republicans who are desperate to unite the field behind some non-Trump candidate. And it may even come from DeSantis’ closest friends and family.