DeSantis warns GOP faces 'issue' keeping Trump voters engaged in future electionsFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis is warning Republicans that the Tennessee special election exposed a turnout problem that could affect the 2026 midterms.
He said President Donald Trump expanded the Republican Party but also attracted a group of voters outside its traditional base. DeSantis said those voters come out when Trump is on the ballot but may stay home when he isn’t.
The tighter-than-expected Nashville race underscored Republicans’ concerns about whether Trump voters will show up when the president is no longer a candidate. DeSantis’ warning comes as Republicans work to hold slim congressional majorities heading into 2026.
"Republicans have an issue that Donald Trump has created a big pool of voters, but some of them are unique to him," DeSantis said Friday on "Fox & Friends."
"They will go vote for Trump, and they'll vote for all the Republicans when Trump's on the ballot. But if he's not on the ballot, some of them don't vote."
DeSantis said if Republicans want to keep these Trump-aligned voters, they need to take bolder, more decisive action that clearly contrasts their agenda with Democrats’ policies.
"I just think you [got to] be bold. I think you [got to] be strong," he said, comparing the strategy to flying a "banner of bold colors, not pale pastels."........................
https://www.foxnews.com/media/desantis-warns-gop-faces-issue-keeping-trump-voters-engaged-future-elections
