DeSantis says nominating Trump would make 2024 a referendum on the ex-president rather than Biden

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nominating Donald Trump would make the 2024 election about his legal troubles rather than the nation’s ills under President Joe Biden, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday, hours after Trump appeared in court to argue he’s immune from prosecution.

DeSantis appealed directly to undecided Iowa Republicans, particularly those who like Trump but are seeking an alternative, less than a week before they cast the first votes of the 2024 election season, portraying a Biden-Trump rematch as a risky bet for Republicans.

“It raises the issue for Republicans: ‘What do we want the 2024 election to be about?’” DeSantis said in a Fox News town hall in Des Moines. “If Donald Trump is the nominee, the election is going to be about legal issues, criminal trials, Jan. 6. It’ll be a referendum on him.”

DeSantis has for months been trying to peel away Trump supporters, presenting himself as an able alternative for Republicans who still like the former president. And as the clock ticks down to the first votes, he’s leaning in further, warning them that Trump is a dangerous choice if the GOP wants to win.

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