DeSantis is trying desperately to win the religious right away from Trump. On its face, he has a good case; unlike the completely pagan Trump, he is a Christian, and he can claim some real legislative and administrative accomplishments on their behalf. His efforts do not appear to be succeeding, however. Why not?
For several reasons:
- The genuinely religious portion of the reactionary right is relatively small and diminishing by the day. Just ask Ted Cruz about that.
- Having been convinced that Trump is the 21st century version of King David during his administration, it is difficult for the Christian right to abandon him.
- Trump’s never-ending cycle of transgression and whining claims of victimization has resonance in Christian culture.
- DeSantis has not helped his case by taking equivocal positions on abortion. If he wants the Cruz vote, he needs to support a strict national abortion ban. He signed a six week ban in Florida and then refused to support it as a national standard, which for purely political reasons is the worst of both worlds, because it offends both sides of the debate.