Mr. DeSantis "tried too soon".
If he had been patient enough to wait until 2028, supporting Mr. Trump in the meantime, his future would be bright indeed. But young Ron done jumped the gun ahead o' his time.
Perhaps the '24/28 election cycle will resemble 1976/80 -- with Mr. Trump playing the role of Gerald Ford and DesSantis Reagan, who lost his 76 challenge, but came back to win 4 years later.
Or... perhaps not.