CNN —A spokesman for a super PAC backing Ron DeSantis acknowledged that the Florida governor and GOP presidential candidate is “way behind” in national polling and is “fighting uphill” to defeat former President Donald Trump in the 2024 primary. “Right now, in national polling, we are way behind. It’s an uphill battle.”DeSantis has been trailing Trump in polling for months, but Cortes’ admission was a moment of surprising candor from a top DeSantis operative. Cortes said the indictments against the former president, which DeSantis has condemned as political “weaponization,” have given Trump a comfortable lead. “If we do not prevail, we will make President Trump better for having this kind of primary.

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Persons: Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump, I’ll, ” Steve Cortes, “, ” DeSantis, Cortes ’, Trump, ” Cortes, Cortes, DeSantis Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Republican, DeSantis, “, ” Locations: Florida, ”