Republican strategists are suggesting the weaker-than-expected campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, coupled with Trump's potential vulnerabilities due to legal problems, has prompted other Republicans to reconsider running for president.
"There were high expectations for Gov. DeSantis and his team when they entered the race. I think they were confident they were going to be the Trump-lite alternative," John Merrill, the former secretary of state for Alabama, told media.
"He waited too long because I think that he anticipated that people were just waiting on him to be the guy to come out and beat Trump and that is obviously not the case."
Critics point to DeSantis' missteps, such as a glitch-riddled campaign launch on Twitter Spaces and a controversial video posted by his campaign that was criticized as "homophobic" by LGBTQ Republicans. Officials have also argued DeSantis struggled to connect with GOP primary voters on a personal level.
DeSantis attributes his declining poll numbers to media bias, while a spokesperson for a super PAC supporting DeSantis acknowledges the Florida governor faces an uphill battle against Trump, who leads him by an average of 32 points in recent national polls.
Republican strategists suggest Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp are considering entering the race because of DeSantis' weaknesses. However, they caution it won't be easy for anyone to position themselves as a viable alternative to Trump, despite DeSantis' struggles.
Although Youngkin has sent mixed signals about running for president, his camp isn't ruling anything out. Kemp, too, hasn't ruled out running but claims to be focused on Georgia for now.
Experts believe DeSantis or any candidate seeking the GOP nomination faces a "math" problem because Trump dominates among the so-called "Tier 1" voters who have already made up their minds. With the second tier split among 13 other GOP candidates, it becomes challenging for anyone else to gain traction in the race.
While some Republican strategists believe Youngkin could enter the race and appeal to various factions within the party, the DeSantis campaign did not provide a comment on the matter. Overall, the race for the Republican nomination appears to be heavily influenced by Trump's continued popularity and DeSantis' struggle to establish himself as a strong contender.