Trump Promotes ‘Anger,’ Arkansas GOP Governor Says, As Bookies Give DeSantis Early Lead

Article By Larry Henry

Last Updated: Mar 14^th, 2024

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Trump Promotes ‘Anger,’ Arkansas GOP Governor Says, As Bookies Give DeSantis Early Lead

With Donald Trump’s announcement Tuesday that he is running for president again, betting odds and polls are attracting attention — and potential opponents are jockeying for position.

The website electionbettingodds.com has Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis atop the 2024 Republican presidential field, with a 39.9% chance (down 1.5% in the last day) of winning the party's nomination. Trump is in second place. He has a 34.2% chance (up 1.7% in the last day) of winning the GOP nomination.

Trump’s apparent concern about DeSantis surfaced in his labeling during recent days of the newly re-elected Florida governor as “Ron“DeSanctimonious.”

Arkansas Republican Governor Rips Trump

In Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a possible Republican candidate in the 2024 presidential election, took Trump to task for the tone of the campaign announcement on Tuesday.

Hutchinson, a two-term governor and former congressman, tweeted late Tuesday that Trump’s “self-indulging message promoting anger has not changed.”

In the announcement, Trump, who left office in January 2021, said the U.S. has been in a “staggering” decline. Trump touted his presidency, including efforts to boost border security. Trump also said global powers such as China were held “in check” during his four years in office. Trump lost the 2022 election to Democrat Joe Biden.

According to Hutchinson, the announcement message from Trump on Tuesday will backfire. Some have blamed Trump for GOP setbacks in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

“It didn’t work in 2022 and won’t work in 2024,” Hutchinson tweeted, regarding Trump's message. “There are better choices.”

Hutchinson also has served as head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and undersecretary for U.S. Border and Transportation Security.

Hutchinson did not name who the better choices are, but in a separate tweet Tuesday night, the governor noted he intends to be active on the national stage. He was prohibited by term limits from running for re-election this year in Arkansas. Later in the week, Hutchinson said on CNN he intends to announce in January whether he is running for president.

“It is important to welcome new voices and new ideas for our future,” Hutchinson tweeted. “I intend to be one of those leaders working for solutions to the serious challenges ahead.”

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said Trump will be “hard to beat” if he continues the tone and message he delivered during Tuesday’s announcement.

“His speech tonight, contrasting his policies and results against the Biden Administration, charts a winning path for him in the primaries and general election,” Graham tweeted.

Updated Presidential Odds

Though it is illegal in the U.S. to bet on the presidential election, other countries allow wagering on U.S. political outcomes.

After Trump’s announcement on Tuesday, some oddsmakers had him roughly in the same spot as before. Candidates often expect an upward bounce in poll numbers after entering a race.

On Wednesday, the overseas website PredictIt had DeSantis and Biden ahead of Trump.

At Oddschecker.com, an odds-comparison service based in the United Kingdom, the following odds were available for bettors on Wednesday:

Ron DeSantis +225
Donald Trump +350
Joe Biden +400
Gavin Newsom +1400
Kamala Harris +1400

Newsom won re-election on Nov. 8 as California governor. Harris is the U.S. vice president.

Other candidates with longer odds include former Vice President Mike Pence and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

These odds compare to the ones posted on DraftKings sportsbook website during the days leading up to Trump’s announcement. Those odds, posted Nov. 5, were: