Ron DeSantis dismisses 2024 speculation as 'nonsense' - Image via AP. - Florida Politics

Gov. Ron DeSantis dismissed a question about whether he will run for President in 2024 as manufactured "nonsense" Tuesday.

"All the speculation about me is purely manufactured," DeSantis told reporters in St. Cloud. "I just do my job."

"I hear all this stuff, and honestly, it's nonsense," DeSantis added about the "rumors."

DeSantis' curt denial of interest in running for President comes after considerable reporting suggests Florida's Governor is keenly interested in running.

A recent Vanity Fair piece depicted DeSantis as ambitious to such a degree that former President Donald Trump allegedly "hates" him. It also put into context the Governor's coyness when asked about White House hopes in St. Cloud Tuesday.

"DeSantis needs to walk a tightrope as he seeks to position himself for a 2024 run. According to a source, DeSantis has told donors that he won't openly campaign in Iowa or New Hampshire before his 2022 Florida reelection campaign," Vanity Fair reporter Gabriel Sherman writes.

That "tightrope walk" extends to in-state press conferences. Last week, DeSantis ignored four separate questions from Florida Politics about a trip to New Jersey for political fundraising.

Though DeSantis continues to pick and choose which audiences get to hear about what his next move might be, there is evidence the routine is starting to wear with people who are actually betting on 2024 presidential races this early.

Boyle Sports sounded a warning last week about DeSantis' Republican Primary odds with a press release entitled, "Punters Abandon Ron DeSantis White House Bid As Odds Drift To 4/1 From 2/1."

Polls have seen a shift also, showing headwinds for DeSantis on a number of fronts, amid evidence that Trump is the clear favorite among those mulling 2024 Republicans

An Emerson College survey showed that 48% of those called would back Biden's reelection while just 36% would pick DeSantis.

Florida's Governor performed worse than the former President in a hypothetical head-to-head with Biden. Trump won that one, 47% to 46%, even though just 395 Republicans were polled compared to 450 Democrats.

Evidence from a Primary poll from Emerson suggests DeSantis' best hope may be in Trump fading away. With Trump in the field, DeSantis drew just 10% support, a full 57 points behind the former President. However, if Trump did not run, Republican respondents here prefer Florida's Governor over the other prospective candidates.

Meanwhile, questions abound about whether DeSantis could even carry Florida if he was atop the ticket. A new Quinnipiac Poll suggests nearly 60% of Floridians don't want him to run for President.

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