Jan. 6 hearings chip away at Trump's hold on GOP, as 2024 hopefuls circle
When Casey DeSantis was introducing her husband, Ron, to Florida voters in an ad during his first run for governor four years ago, she insisted he was "so much more" than a Trump devotee.
He was a caring dad who played with their son, read him books and was teaching his daughter to talk. But there was a punchline. The ad showed the blocks they played with were to "build the wall," the book was about how then-President Donald Trump likes to fire people (DeSantis' "favorite part") and the talking lesson used a Make America Great Again campaign sign.
The point of the joke was clear – Trump was the man, and a Republican would be a fool to deviate. Lots of other GOP candidates were finding ways to genuflect to their leader, too. But now, four years later, times are starting to change with some Republican voters contemplating something new.
"I think one of the vulnerabilities for Trump running again in 2024 is that he doesn't have a lot of new material," Sarah Longwell, a Republican political consultant opposed to Trump who has conducted a number of with Trump voters since the Jan. 6 committee hearings began, .
