On Friday morning the White House welcomed governors from 36 states and territories belonging to both parties who joined President Joe Biden in discussions about the nation’s economy.
However, there was one governor who was notably absent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis did not attend the White House event, which would have been the opportunity for a rare in-person meeting with the President that he might face in the 2024 presidential elections.
Neither President Biden nor DeSantis has launched a presidential campaign for 2024. Still, Biden and his administration have frequently reiterated that the President would be running again. Many Republicans also want to see DeSantis join the race, even though the governor has not yet hinted what his intentions will be.
DeSantis has emerged as the predominant opponent from the Republican party that most Democrats fear. Sen. Lauren Book of Florida following DeSantis’ impressive reelection called DeSantis “the 900-pound gorilla in the room.”
Jose Parra, a Florida Democratic strategist also said that DeSantis was the biggest threat, which has become all the more evident by the DNC’s emails and attacks which are not usually targeting former President Donald Trump, but rather DeSantis. Parra also called DeSantis a “much better package: more polished and disciplined. And that makes him more dangerous.”
Biden’s team has maintained that DeSantis was not a threat and that the “undisputed leader of the Republican Party” remained Trump.
