How will Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie joining the race to receive the 2024 Republican nomination affect former President Donald Trump?
While it may seem the opposite, a crowded Republican ballot is in the best interest of the former president, who faced something similar in his first election.
KNX In Depth’s Charles Feldman and Rob Archer spoke with Josh Scacco, a political analyst and professor at the University of South Florida, about how Trump will fare now that there are more names for him to tease on Truth Social.
“This is looking a lot like 2016 all over again, just a different cast of characters,” Scacco said.
Scacco says that the main strategy for the Trump campaign is to divide the “anti-Trump” vote, which he estimates is about 40%-50% of the electorate in any given primary.
“If you can get enough individuals to divide that vote, it could mean big things for Donald Trump in the primary,” Scacco said.
When it comes to the pending legal challenges plaguing Trump and his campaign, Scacco says that he doesn’t see it making much of a difference with Republican primary voters who already are steadfast in their support for Trump.
“Whether or not the investigations can really shake loose that support is yet to be seen,” Scacco said.
As for President Joe Biden, Scacco says he doesn’t see him facing a “serious opponent” in trying to seek the Democratic nominee.
“The president’s team wants to avoid a high-profile primary challenge,” Scacco said. “Every single incumbent president that has faced, at least in the past 40 plus years, a significant primary challenge has gone on to have difficulties in the general election.”
On Monday, Philip Lacovara, the former Deputy Solicitor General of the U.S. and former counsel to the Watergate special prosecutor, joined KNX In Depth and discussed one interesting possibility Biden could take to better help his reelection chances.
“Barack Obama could replace Kamala Harris without losing a vital constituency that Biden would need for reelection,” Lacovara said. “He satisfies the number one problem that Biden faces, which is concerns, not only from Republicans and independents but even among many Democrats, that he’s maybe too old and too frail to be in term for another four years, which he may not be able to serve.”
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