DeSantis says he can beat Biden in 2024

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis gave his strongest indication yet that he intends to seek the presidency in 2024, expressing optimism that he would defeat President Joe Biden.

The Florida governor pointed his landslide 2022 reelection effort, in which he won the contest by 19 points over former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. DeSantis told Piers Morgan in a Monday interview published by the New York Post that he would mimic the past election in his approach to a presidential run.

"I won with independents by 18 points and so that will be the same formula that we would take," he said. "You can’t win with just Republicans. You’ve gotta win with independents and you need to convince some of these Democrats,"

"They want their streets safe, and they want quality education. So I think you could appeal to people across the canvas," he continued.

The Florida governor declined to commit to a presidential run during the interview, but contended that he would present a formidable challenge to Biden should he win the Republican nomination.

"If I were to run... I’m running against Biden. Like we [him and former President Donald Trump] are competing for the Republican, potentially, I get that, but ultimately you know the guy I’m gonna focus on is Biden because I think he’s failed the country," DeSantis said. "I think the country wants a change. I think they want a fresh start and a new direction and so we’ll be very vocal about that."

When Morgan asked if DeSantis thought he could defeat Biden in the general election, he replied "I think so."

Polling has consistently shown DeSantis as the nearest potential challenger to Trump in a primary contest, though the former president has expanded his lead considerably in recent weeks.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.