<....With a score of 3-0 against him, Kostic can well be forgiven any feeling of hopelessness that might have crept into his manly bosom....>

<Lauren Boebert, one of the most vocal Republicans, is furious that her state, Colorado, signed three bills supporting health care rights. These include abortions and gender-affirming health care.

The governor, Jared Polis, Democrat, signed the bills making the state safe for residents and those who do not have support in their states.

Bills protect doctors and patients from other states

Polis ensured that those who came to Colorado for medical reasons could not be prosecuted in their home states. That includes people who come for abortion or gender-affirming care. The law protects doctors and patients.

The governor said it was about freedom

In a statement, Polis shared, "Today is really about freedom, standing up to protect freedoms that are under attack, sadly, in many other states across the country."

Boebert was furious

In a tweet, Boebert wrote, "Colorado is set to sign a law making it a sanctuary state for "gender-affirming care" for children." She added, "It is a complete disgrace that our state will be passing a law legalizing the mutilation of young children under the guise of medical care."

Boebert called for lawmakers to leave kids alone

She concluded her tweet by saying, "Leave our children alone." Later she shared another tweet alleging that over half of Americans do not support "children taking puberty blockers."

In the tweet, Boebert further wrote, "Why is it that state legislatures all across this country, including Colorado, are pushing this issue as the new civil rights movement of our time?" She then added, "End the grooming!"

People asked about the poll

A Twitter user asked, "Where is this poll? I hope nobody is falling for this. Yes, it happens from people in both parties, but Lauren here just has verbal diarrhea a lot." Another called her out, "Your husband and son enjoy showing their pe.is to minors, so maybe chill on the whole groomers rhetoric."

Most comments did not reflect Boebert's words

Someone said, "The majority of Americans also oppose child marriage, but your colleagues seem pretty cool with it." And this person recalled another bill supported by the Republicans, "Conservatives will be forcing genital checks of 5-year-olds you're silent."

Questions for Boebert kept piling up

Another person said, "Then they should t give them to their children." A person added, "I think parents need to be able to make their own decisions for their children and not the government," while another called out Boebert and her husband: "Didn't your husband expose himself to children in a bowling alley, Bobo???"

Reddit users agreed with Twitter responders

One Reddit poster wrote, "No human being should have fewer rights than any other human being for any reason." Another chimed in, "I have yet to ever hear anyone make a rational argument about why we should be treating trans people so horribly."

Some Reddit users had no mercy

A poster shared, "I am enjoying her tears like a fine Scotch." Another added, "Cry about it, snowflake." Someone joked, "It's important for us to send a clear message that everyone is welcome in Colorado except Lauren Boebert.">

<South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace seems to understand some things that many others in her Republican Party are missing.

On issues like abortion and guns, compromise is going to be necessary – or the GOP will lose the support of all but its most devout proponents. And that is not a recipe for winning elections.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, Mace has advocated a “middle ground” approach to abortion rights, warning that extreme anti-abortion views allowing for few if any exceptions aren’t compassionate toward women and will alienate moderate conservatives and independent voters. The majority of Americans now support legal abortion in most cases, according to polls.

Voters supported abortion rights: Here's what anti-abortion leaders should learn from it

“The middle, the independent voters, right of center, left of center, they cannot support us,” Mace said on a Sunday TV show.

Court battle renews focus on abortion

The midterm elections made it clear that voters were motivated on the issue of abortion, and many Republicans weren’t ready with a message that resonated – if they had one at all.

Even former President Donald Trump has pointed out that the GOP fell short on the issue. While he was likely trying to take the heat away from his own role in the party’s losses, he has a good point.

And now the legal battle over access to frequently used abortion pill mifepristone has brought fresh attention to the matter. After a federal judge in Texas halted Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug this month, the case has moved quickly through the courts.

The debate over this pill is a big deal, because more than half of abortions in the United States are medication abortions. Mifepristone is used in conjunction with misoprostol, which can also be used on its own. The two drugs are also used to treat miscarriages.

The Supreme Court is expected Wednesday to make a decision about whether to uphold an appeals court’s restrictions on the drug. Last week, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the Biden administration that FDA approval of mifepristone could continue, but it allowed other restrictions on the drug’s access to stand.

A plea for 'common sense'

The judge’s decision sparked outrage from Democrats, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who said the Biden administration should simply ignore the ruling. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon echoed the sentiment.

Mace joined in shortly thereafter, saying she agreed with “ignoring it at this point.”

AOC responds to abortion pill ruling: AOC says abortion pill ruling is ‘a mockery of our democracy.’ She's the one mocking it.

As I wrote previously about Ocasio-Cortez and Wyden, Mace took things too far by making the argument that the executive branch can simply ignore the judicial branch when it doesn't like a court decision. The ruling needs to play out in the courts, and it is.

Her broader point is worthy of consideration, however.

“This is an issue that Republicans have been largely on the wrong side of,” Mace told CNN after the Texas judge's decision. “We have, over the last nine months, not shown compassion toward women, and this is one of those issues that I’ve tried to lead on as someone who’s pro-life and just have some common sense.”

Political decisions on issues as impactful as abortion shouldn’t be based solely on polls. Yet conservatives have to realize that imposing too much change at once on citizens will backfire on them.

Politicians and groups opposed to abortion should listen to voices like Mace and fine-tune a strategy going into 2024 that is reasonable and won’t create a backlash that could hurt the GOP for years to come.>

After dishing out nearly $800 million yesterday, what will this fresh nightmare bring? Ready to go into ten-figure territory?

Y'all best get ready for a real big number, boys!! Ah <luv> the smell o' greenbacks in the morning!

<(Reuters) - Fox News on Tuesday disposed of one legal threat with its $787.5 million defamation settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, but the network still faces a $2.7 billion lawsuit from another voting technology company over its coverage of debunked election-rigging claims.

Dominion accused Fox and its parent company Fox Corp of ruining its business by airing claims that its machines were used to rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election in favor of Democrat Joe Biden and against then-president Donald Trump, a Republican.

Fox and its parent company Fox Corp averted a six-week trial in Delaware Superior Court with the deal, which is half of the $1.6 billion Dominion sought but still by far the largest ever defamation settlement publicly announced by an American media company, according to legal experts.

Fox, one of the most influential cable networks in the world and home to many conservative commentators, acknowledged in a statement Tuesday that the judge found “certain claims about Dominion to be false” and said it hopes the deal helps the country “move forward with these issues.”

But Fox’s lawyers will stay busy navigating the legal fallout of the network’s 2020 election coverage with a potentially far more damaging defamation lawsuit by voting technology company Smartmatic, as well as a separate but related lawsuit by a recently fired producer.

Fox representatives referred Reuters to prior statements on the cases. The network has firmly denied the allegations in both cases.

It is unclear if Fox’s deal with Dominion indicates it is willing to settle with Smartmatic, but experts who are not part of the litigation suggested it could help kickstart talks.

“Smartmatic now has a bargaining chip, and Fox has shown it is willing to take out its checkbook and write a big check,” said University of Tennessee, Knoxville media law professor Stuart Brotman. “From Fox’s standpoint, now that they realize they can get a successful settlement, they have a basis for a real discussion with Smartmatic.”

Smartmatic is seeking $2.7 billion in damages from Fox and five individuals, including former Trump lawyers and hosts.

Smartmatic alleges in its lawsuit in New York County Supreme Court that the defendants knowingly spread false claims that its software was used to flip votes. Conspiracy theorists erroneously claimed Smartmatic owned Dominion, and the companies mounted similar allegations in their lawsuits.

Smartmatic attorney J. Erik Connolly said in a statement Tuesday the company is committed to clearing its name, recouping the damage done to it and “holding Fox accountable for undermining democracy."

Fox denies the allegations, saying in a recent statement the network had a right to report on highly newsworthy allegations of voter fraud. It has also called Smartmatic’s damages claims “outrageous, unsupported, and not rooted in sound financial analysis.”

Fox was recently dealt a setback in the case after an appeals court declined to toss it, finding Smartmatic alleged in “detailed fashion” how Fox “effectively endorsed and participated” in defamation.

Meanwhile, Fox has given no public indication that it is interested in settling the lawsuit by the former producer, Abby Grossberg, whose lawyers said in a statement Tuesday they are seeking “meaningful institutional changes at Fox News.”

Any such changes were absent from the public announcement of the Dominion settlement and could potentially be a major sticking point in any negotiations, legal experts said.

Grossberg alleges she was exposed to sexism at Fox and unjustly fired after she objected to what she claims were efforts to pressure her into giving misleading testimony in the Dominion case.

Fox has said the allegations are “baseless” and were immediately investigated by outside lawyers. The network also says it will “vigorously” defend itself against all of Grossberg’s claims.>

<Yashar Ali 🐘 یاشار @yashar 1. $787.5 million settlement from Fox

2. Over 1,000 people charged with federal crimes for Jan 6.

3. A complex special counsel investigation.

4. Careers and reputations destroyed.

5. A major state investigation.

<More trashy troll piddle. That's ten (10) posts on this page and counting. Nobody appreciates baloney stoney's garbage.>

Waal sumbitch, he may have something to offer after all, as a math savant.

<A proposed change to next year's Montana U.S. Senate primary that was aimed at undermining Democratic Sen. Jon Tester's reelection chances is likely dead after a state legislative committee shelved the GOP-backed measure Wednesday.

Some Republican lawmakers urged on by a GOP lobbyist wanted to alter Montana's 2024 Senate primary so that only the top two candidates, no matter their party, would advance to the November election.

That would have effectively blocked out third-party candidates, who Republicans blamed for draining away potential GOP votes during past attempts to unseat Tester.

Control of the Senate will be in play during next year's election. Tester's seat is one of several that Democrats are defending in Republican-leaning states.

The race's national importance helped fuel outrage over the bid to change the primary rules. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers and representatives of the Libertarian party, blasted it as a blatant attempt to rig the election.

After Rep. Gregory Frazer moved to table the bill during a Wednesday meeting of the House State Administration Committee, all but one of the committee’s 12 Republicans joined the panel's six Democrats to vote to shelve the measure.

“I have had a lot of my folks from back home reach out to me and ask me to vote no on this — a lot more than what I thought. It's actually been pretty interesting,” said Frazer, a Republican from Deer Lodge.

It is possible for the bill to be revived before the end of the session, but that's considered unlikely given Wednesday's definitive House committee vote.

Montana Libertarian Party chairman Sid Daoud praised Frazer for looking critically at the bill despite a push by Republican leaders to advance it and said Libertarians would remain on watch for attempts to revive the measure.

“It’s great the people stood up against it,” said Daoud, a Kalispell City Council member.

The state Senate approved the 2024 primary change earlier this month by a 27-23 vote. Seven Republicans joined all of the chamber’s Democrats in voting against the measure.

The bill's Republican sponsor said he wanted to stop the GOP and Democrats alike from trying to manipulate elections by stealthily promoting third party candidates.

But emails included in the legislative file for the bill show that longtime Republican lobbyist Chuck Denowh helped shape the measure.

In late March, Denowh suggested that an early version of the proposal be changed so it would apply only to the U.S. Senate and would sunset after the 2024 election, the emails show. The bill was changed accordingly.

State Rep. Kelly Kortum, a Democrat from Bozeman, said the bill had been pushed onto Montana by outside interests. He called it “an irresponsible way to change Montana’s election laws."

“A broad coalition of Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, and others across Montana publicly spoke out against the bill,” Kortum said.

Sponsor Sen. Greg Hertz of Polson did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment.

The House committee on Monday rejected a second election-related bill from Hertz that would have increased the number of signatures required for independent candidates and third parties to qualify for ballots.

Both major parties in Montana have sought to use third parties to their advantage in past elections.

During one of last year’s U.S. House elections, a Democratic-linked group in Washington, D.C., sent mailers promoting Libertarian candidate John Lamb as the race’s “true conservative” in an effort to peel away conservative votes.

In the 2020 race, the Republican Party bankrolled a $100,000 signature-gathering effort to put the Montana Green Party on the ballot and hurt Democrats' chances. The state Supreme Court removed the Green Party after hundreds of people sought to withdraw their signatures upon learning the GOP was behind the effort.>

Sez he who 'never follows anyone, they always follow me'.

Ain't that so, <fredthepissant>?

The GOAT has acknowledged that a top grandmaster may actually approach his own erudition in the game--I am truly shocked at this turn!

The imprimatur delivered, the world moves apace.

Without <fredthedouche>'s contributions, how <would> ordinary mortals get on?

<What's China really up to in Antarctica?

China is ramping up construction of its fifth scientific research station in Antarctica. But the new facility might have a hidden purpose, according to a new report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank.

Indeed, the Pentagon believes that the scientific investigation equipment can also be used to collect signals intel on two US allies: Australia and New Zealand. What's more, the station is located on Inexpressible (!) Island near the Ross Sea in order to triangulate signals with its existing stations and thus monitor Aussie and Kiwi space activity.

Unlike in the North Pole, where China has long wanted to become a player as melting ice caps offer opportunities for new mining and shipping lanes (not to mention spying on Canada), the frozen continent is off-limits for military activities under a 1959 treaty. The problem is a lot of the Chinese tech at the research stations is dual-use - as are some of China's "civilian" firearm exports to Russia.

Still, there's not much the West can do about it. So if you're Australia or New Zealand, be careful: China will soon be listening.>

"B-b-but I never stalk anyone--they always do it to me!'

Ever the victim.

Nepomniachtchi is too impatient and unwilling to defend, and perhaps unwilling to exchange queens not on his own terms. Ding Liren is too passive, particularly with the queen. It seems his aggression relies entirely upon the pawn structure. Neither seems to establish concrete long term plans early on....>

Do you ever look in the mirror?>

Hahahahaha!

<House Republican leaders are keeping their distance from any kind of national abortion ban, reverting from historical pushes and instead throwing the issue down to House committees and the states.

“It works through committee. The Supreme Court has made that decision. It goes to the states, the states will take up that issue,” Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said in a press conference on Thursday when asked if Republicans will put forward a national ban on abortion in any form.

Republicans passed a 20-week abortion ban when they controlled the House in 2013, 2015 and 2017. But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, sparking electoral challenges for Republicans in the midterms, they said that any decision on a national ban would depend on what the House majority looks like.

With a slim four-seat majority and many members in swing districts where the abortion issue has proven to be politically tricky, leaders for now appear content to leave the decision to the states.

“This is a federal system. We live in a Constitutional republic. Under that system, the states are supposed to know best,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) told The Hill in an interview when asked about federal action on abortion and the politics of the issue.

“I’ll trust the states and their leadership to make those decisions,” Emmer said.

That stance is in line with former President Trump, whose campaign recently told The Washington Post that the former president “believes that the Supreme Court, led by the three Justices which he supported, got it right when they ruled this is an issue that should be decided at the State level.”

Trump supported the 20-week abortion ban that the House passed in 2017.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who is anti-abortion but has been vocally critical of the strict state-level abortion bans being signed into law that lack exceptions, said voters in her swing district went from being “mildly pro-choice” before Roe v. Wade was overturned to “absolutely pro-choice.”

“Even some of the pro-lifers don’t want the heavy hand of government intervening on the issue,” Mace said.

Mace dug into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for signing a six-week abortion ban into law “in the dead of night,” calling the bill “extreme” due to its requirements that rape victims show proof to get an abortion exception.

But despite her recent vocal critiques, Mace said that a less severe ban could be more politically acceptable for Republicans.

“A 15- to 20-week ban would be, I think, supported nationally. I don’t think that there’s anything controversial about that. Roe allowed you to have an abortion up until birth,” Mace said. “I mean, socialist Europe is 12 to 15 weeks, if you’re even allowed to have one. So, that is definitely compromise.”

Emmer and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) did cosponsor a 15-week abortion ban measure introduced in the House in the last Congress. That bill has not yet been re-introduced in this Congress.

Conservative and anti-abortion advocacy groups are pushing for Congress to take action on federal abortion restrictions.

And Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has said that any candidate who does not support national abortion restrictions should be “disqualified” from winning the presidential nomination. The group’s president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said that the Trump campaign’s position that the issue should be decided on the state level is a “morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate to hold.”

The 20-week ban bills that the House passed in 2015 and 2017 came straight to the House floor with the support of leadership. McCarthy has pledged in the current Congress, though, to have more legislation move through regular order rather than bringing it straight to the floor.>

<The far-right Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas who authored the opinion revoking the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion drug mifepristone failed to disclose interviews he gave on Christian talk radio when he was being confirmed by the Senate, reported CNN on Thursday.

"In undisclosed radio interviews, Matthew Kacsmaryk referred to being gay as 'a lifestyle' and expressed concerns that new norms for 'people who experience same-sex attraction' would lead to clashes with religious institutions, calling it the latest in a change in sexual norms that began with 'no-fault divorce' and 'permissive policies on contraception,'" reported Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck. "Kacsmaryk ... made the unreported comments in two appearances in 2014 on Chosen Generation, a radio show that offers 'a biblical constitutional worldview.' At the time, Kacsmaryk was deputy general counsel at First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit religious liberty advocacy group known before 2016 as the Liberty Institute, and was brought on to the radio show to discuss 'the homosexual agenda' to silence churches and religious liberty, according to the show’s host."

"In a statement sent to CNN, Kacsmaryk said he did not locate the interview when searching for media to disclose and he did not recall the interview," said the report. "I used the DOJ-OLP manual to run searches for all media but did not locate this interview and did not recall this event, which involved a call-in to a local radio show," he told CNN.

"After listening to the audio file supplied by CNN, I agree that the content is equivalent to the legal analysis appearing throughout my SJQ and discussed extensively during my Senate confirmation hearing. Additionally, the transcript supplied by CNN appears to track with the audio and accurately recounts my responses during the phone call — when quoted in full.'"

This comes after earlier reporting that Kacsmaryk also failed to disclose his involvement with an article submitted to a Texas law review, which said people “cannot use their scalpels to make female what God created male” and “cannot use their pens to prescribe or dispense abortifacient drugs designed to kill unborn children” — and that his name was actually removed from the paper right around when he was up for confirmation.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who voted to confirm Kacsmaryk, has expressed outrage over the concealed records, and suggested she was misled in order to secure her vote.

Kacsmaryk's order against mifepristone has been partially blocked by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court is currently weighing whether to block the entire ruling.>

Hope this swine gets the axe.

The people deserve better.

<Fox News’s Laura Ingraham stopped Fox Business host Larry Kudlow in his tracks after he dared to call Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin “a nice fella.”

Kudlow apparently did not learn from his appearance on The Ingraham Angle last year where the host snapped at him over a similar comment.

Ingraham aired a clip of Manchin at a Senate hearing where he touted President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that was enacted last year, but said he is concerned about spending.

The host stated it sounds as though Manchin has “buyer’s remorse” about the legislation, which he helped spearhead in the Senate.

“I’m very, very, very proud of the I.R.A. and what it’s doing and what the intention of it was to do,” he said. “What I’m not proud of is that basically we’re not staying within the guidelines of what the [Congressional Budget Office] score was. I’m trying to make sure we don’t dupe or scam the American public, thinking passed one bill that costs this much and it doubles up because of liberalization of what they’re putting out much quicker faster, much faster, and much longer.”

Ingraham knocked the senator.

“Every time he runs for reelection, he suddenly becomes a little bit more like the average West Virginian,” she said. Manchin is up for reelection in 2024, though he has not publicly said whether he’s running.

“He’s gonna have a real hard time getting reelected this time around,” Kudlow replied, alluding to the fact West Virginia Governor Jim Justice is aiming for Manchin’s seat. “Governor’s going to run against him and beat him… Look, Joe Manchin is a nice fella–”

Ingraham interrupted him.

“Everybody’s nice,” she said. “Ok, put that on the table. Everyone’s nice.”

Kudlow continued his response and blasted the legislation.

During an appearance on Ingraham’s show in May 2022, Kudlow also spoke favorably about White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein.

“I wanna say, Jared Bernstein is an old friend of mine, and personally he’s really a good–he’s a lovely man,” he said.

The host snapped at him.

“I’m sure he saves kittens from trees, Larry,” she told him. “But this is the country going down the tubes. I’ve gotta say, I love you and you’re one of my favorite people. Everybody’s friends with everyone in Washington and New York. We all love each other. We all–that’s great. Our country is falling apart.”

She later added, “I’m sorry to jump on you. I’m fed up with it.”>

Can someone please muzzle this cretin?

<(Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump is girding to take a swing at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on one of the things his chief rival is proudest of: his handling of his state’s economy.

In conversations with Trump campaign advisers and allies, the strategy they’ve developed is to bury DeSantis’s expected presidential campaign before it begins. On Friday, DeSantis spoke at the Heritage Foundation’s 50th Anniversary summit outside Washington, and Trump will address Republicans later Friday in DeSantis’s home state.

Trump, according to his allies, will use the occasion to remind local officials how he turned some swing states red in 2016. He’ll speak about how he plans to campaign against Biden in 2024 and also will try to muddy up the brightest parts of the governor’s record.

Shortly after DeSantis’s speech, the Trump campaign sent out a lengthy critique of the governor’s economic record, hitting him for the high cost of housing, fuel and other basics.

“The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair. He has left a wake of destruction all across Florida and people are hurting because he has spent more time playing public relations games instead of actually doing the hard-work needed to improve the lives of the people he represents,” Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesman, said in a statement.

A new Wall Street Journal poll Friday showed Trump gaining on his opponent. In a head-to-head matchup it points to Trump having 51% of support among Republican primary voters, compared with 38% for DeSantis.

“With Trump surging in the polls gaining having a massive amount of focus, this is the opportunity to reengage previous supporters and lock in new supporters before DeSantis even gets his plane off the ground,” Jason Miller, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, said in an interview.

The Trump-DeSantis clash unfolds as President Joe Biden is preparing to announce his reelection campaign as early as next week, according to people familiar with the matter.

DeSantis’s allies insist he hasn’t decided whether to run. But polls show that he is Trump’s most viable challenger, and the former president is treating him like a full-fledged opponent. Paid advertisements by a Trump-allied super political action committee have assailed DeSantis, 44, for his support while in Congress of cuts to Medicare and Social Security, while Trump himself has mocked the governor in speeches, videos and social media posts.

Behind the scenes, Trump, 76, and his aides have reached out to GOP lawmakers across the country to lock up support both in DeSantis’s own backyard and in early voting states.

DeSantis, to the chagrin of some supporters and would-be donors, has barely fought back. An allied super PAC began an ad campaign last weekend criticizing Trump, and DeSantis picked up a single endorsement this week from Representative Laurel Lee, a Florida Republican.

Trump won the backing of six Florida House members just this week, and his team is delighted that a majority of the state’s lawmakers now support the former president rather than their own governor.

Trump’s lead over DeSantis in the RealClearPolitics average of polls has widened to about 29 percentage points, from 13 percentage points in January. Some donors who’d hoped DeSantis would displace Trump are holding onto their money as the former president pummels his presumptive challenger....>

<....“It’s working, and you don’t need to look any further than the totality of the polls. Trump has momentum,” said Florida-based Republican strategist Ford O’Connell, who served as a surrogate for the Trump White House and 2020 campaign.

But Dave Abrams, a spokesperson for the DeSantis political team, said, “the inordinate amount of time spent attacking Governor DeSantis reveals his strength –– and others’ weakness.”

The super PAC supporting the governor has recently hired staff in early voting states and sent out mailers introducing DeSantis, his military service, his family and his political record.

If Trump succeeds at weakening DeSantis politically — or even dissuading him from a run — the former president would establish himself as the presumed Republican nominee for 2024. Many Republican strategists think that would spell trouble for the party. The former president remains deeply unpopular among American voters and faces criminal charges in New York and other legal perils.

None of that matters to Trump, who is showing that he’ll treat his 2024 primary rivals just as ruthlessly as the ones he dispatched in 2016. He’s combined personal attacks with more conventional criticism of the governor’s record, zeroing in, for instance, on his feud with the Walt Disney Co.

The upside for DeSantis is that Trump’s almost singular focus is helping to solidify his standing as the former president’s most viable challenger. No other Republican already in the race or believed to be considering a run registers better than single-digit support in polls.

“It’s clearly not driving him back down into the third tier, and as long as he sort of hangs in there as the obvious alternative, it doesn’t matter if he’s down 20 or down 30 or down 15 as long as he’s double-digits ahead of everybody else when game time comes,” said Brad Coker, managing director at Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy in Florida.

And attacks so early in the campaign might not be remembered by voters — though they could cumulatively have effect over time, said Dave Carney, a Republican consultant in New Hampshire. DeSantis’s response will be critical, he said.

“Can DeSantis take a punch? Sure,” Carney said. “Can he take a beat-down? We’ll find out. Then he can do a little beat-down on his own.”>