But now, as Mr. Trump’s lead in the primary has grown and hardened, the party has dropped Mr. DeSantis from such hypothetical matchups.
And the Biden campaign’s polling on Republican candidates is now directed squarely at Mr. Trump, according to officials familiar with the surveys.
The sharpened focus on Mr. Trump isn’t happening only behind the scenes.
On Sunday, after Mr. Trump sought to muddy the waters on his position on abortion, the Biden operation and its surrogates pushed back with uncommon intensity.
On Monday, Mr. Biden told donors at a New York fund-raiser that Mr. Trump was out to “destroy” American democracy, in some of his most forceful language so far about the implications of a second Trump term.
Persons:
— Donald J, Trump, Ron DeSantis —, Biden, Trump’s, DeSantis, ”
Organizations:
Republican, Democratic National Committee, Trump, “
Locations:
New York, Manhattan