海角大神

When former President Donald Trump took the stage before a crowd of more than 5,000 young conservative activists in Tampa this weekend, he received the rock star鈥檚 welcome he鈥檚 grown accustomed to over the seven years in which he鈥檚 reshaped the Republican Party.

One night earlier, it was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who had the crowd on its feet as he headlined the day鈥檚 program at Turning Point USA鈥檚 annual Student Action Summit.

鈥淭o be honest, it鈥檚 like choosing between your favorite child,鈥� said Leo Milik, 19, who lives in Barrington, Illinois, when asked whom he鈥檇 like to see as the party鈥檚 next nominee.

Mr. Milik, wearing a 鈥淭rump was Right鈥� baseball cap, said both Republicans 鈥渉ave their pros, they have their cons.鈥� For now, he said, he鈥檚 leaning toward Mr. Trump.

That sentiment reflects the soul searching underway inside the GOP as an invisible primary for the 2024 presidential nomination begins to take shape, dominated at least for the moment by Mr. Trump and Governor DeSantis.

There鈥檚 little doubt that Mr. Trump is moving closer to announcing a third presidential campaign. But there鈥檚 genuine debate over whether he鈥檚 the party鈥檚 best candidate to take on President Joe Biden, who is otherwise seen as a vulnerable incumbent heading into the next campaign, weighed down by soaring inflation, sinking popularity, and questions about his capacity to manage the United States into his 80s.

This summer鈥檚 hearings by the House committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection have only amplified the GOP鈥檚 anxiety about Trump. A pair of weekend editorials in the New York Post and Wall Street Journal 鈥� publications owned by the often Trump-friendly Rupert Murdoch 鈥� underscored the impact, castigating the former president for refusing to call off the mob of his supporters as they stormed the U.S. Capitol to halt the peaceful transfer of power.

鈥淎s a matter of principle, as a matter of character, Trump has proven himself unworthy to be this country鈥檚 chief executive again,鈥� wrote the New York Post.

But inside the Tampa Convention Center, mentions of Jan. 6 elicited cheers as a who鈥檚 who of Trump鈥檚 鈥淢AGA movement鈥� took the stage in a room that had the feel of a Las Vegas nightclub.

Young attendees dressed in sparkly heels and candy-colored cowboy boots danced under laser lights to a DJ before the program began. Speakers were introduced with WWE-style videos, elaborate pyrotechnics, and smoke displays. Throughout the venue, ring lights were placed strategically in front of logoed backdrops for flattering photo ops. Outside, a small group of neo-Nazis briefly waved swastika flags.

The top draw was Mr. Trump, who again teased his future plans.

鈥淚 ran twice. I won twice and did much better the second time 鈥� and now we may just have to do it again,鈥� he said to thundering cheers and chants of 鈥淭ake it back!鈥�

During his speech, Mr. Trump appeared intent to address criticism from some corners of the party that he is too focused on relitigating the 2020 election, telling the crowd he wanted to talk about 鈥渟ome of the really big issues.鈥� But he quickly returned to familiar grievances, labeling himself the most persecuted politician in the nation鈥檚 history as he inched ever closer to announcing a run.

鈥淚f I renounced my beliefs, if I agreed to stay silent, if I stayed home, if I announced that I was not going to run for office, the persecution of Donald Trump would immediately stop,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 what they want me to do. And you know what? There鈥檚 no chance I do that.鈥�

Mr. DeSantis, who often insists he is focused solely on reelection as governor, headlined Friday night鈥檚 program in an appearance that strongly suggested his ambitions extend beyond the state.

He welcomed the crowd to the 鈥渇ree state of Florida鈥� and highlighted the anti-COVID mitigation policies that made him a conservative hero during the height of the pandemic. And he bragged about his efforts to bar discussions of race and sexual orientation in Florida classrooms, as well as his battles with Disney.

鈥淲e鈥檝e accomplished an awful lot in the state of Florida. But we have only begun to fight,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause we are on a mission to keep the state of Florida free and to save our great country.鈥�

An unscientific straw poll of attendees at the event found that 78.7% would vote for Mr. Trump in a GOP primary, with Mr. DeSantis coming in second with 19%. No other potential candidate came in above 1 percent.

And many were indeed all in for Mr. Trump to run in 2024.

鈥淚 love the idea, I absolutely do,鈥� said Ryan Malone, 33, who recently moved from New York to Florida. While he is a big fan of Mr. DeSantis, he argued that Mr. Trump is best positioned to turn the country around from what he sees as Mr. Biden鈥檚 litany of failures.

鈥淚 think that he would get more done,鈥� he said. 鈥淎gain, I love DeSantis, he鈥檚 my 1A, right? But I do think that if we鈥檙e going to get out of this miserable period that we鈥檙e in, Trump is the guy to get us out of this hole.鈥�

Still, he worried about what might happen if the two were to run against each other in a GOP primary.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 want to see there be bad blood between the person who鈥檚, like, the true leader of our party and then the person who鈥檚, you know, the second coming,鈥� he said.

But his wife, Dr. Mariuxi Viteri Malone, 33, is eager for Mr. DeSantis to run. As an immigrant from Ecuador, she said she was offended by Mr. Trump鈥檚 rhetoric toward Hispanics.

鈥淏e nice!鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 all you need to do.鈥�

Others were more strategic in their thinking.

Cameron Lilly, 29, said that he personally likes Mr. DeSantis better than Mr. Trump, but nonetheless thinks another Mr. Trump run makes sense for the party.

鈥淚 think Ron DeSantis right now is wasting the one more chance that Trump has,鈥� said Mr. Lilly, who works for a defense contractor in Annapolis, Maryland. 鈥淚 like DeSantis even a little bit more. But I think if we want to have consistent conservatives in the White House, one more Trump term, DeSantis as vice president, and then potentially one or two more terms. That鈥檚 the way to keep conservatives in the White House for more years.鈥�

Steven Dykstra, 22, had another reason.

鈥淎s much as I want DeSantis to be the president 鈥� he would make a great president 鈥� I want him to stay in Florida,鈥� said Mr. Dykstra, who attends Pasco-Hernando State College. 鈥淚f he were to run in 2024, he wouldn鈥檛 be our governor. He鈥檚 been a great governor. I think he should stay.鈥�

Orlando sisters Sydney and Janae Kinne, who go by 鈥淭he Patriot Sisters鈥� online, said they were fans of both Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis, but don鈥檛 expect either to run in 2024.

鈥淚 would still vote for him. We鈥檙e still there. But I would like to see him in a different seat this year,鈥� said Janae, 23, of Mr. Trump. 鈥淚f he runs, I mean, we鈥檙e going to be on the street rooting for him anyways. But we鈥檇 like to see him start to raise up other people who have the same mentality.鈥�

Sydney, 21, said she was looking for an alternative, but wasn鈥檛 sure who.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the question of the hour,鈥� she said. 鈥淩ight now what we need is someone that, yes, is strong, they鈥檙e strong-willed, but someone that鈥檚 a little more kind of rallying everyone together.鈥�

But Zachary Roberson, 22, said that, if he ever had to choose between Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis, he鈥檇 pick the Florida governor.

鈥淗e seems like a more refined version of Trump. So I鈥檓 hoping he runs for president,鈥� said Mr. Roberson, a student at Florida Gulf Coast University.

As for Mr. Trump, Mr. Roberson suggested: 鈥淵ou can run for governor here in Florida.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽