By Tim Reid and Alexandra Ulmer

(Reuters) – Republican presidential rivals Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis appeared on the identical occasion within the 2024 White Home race for the primary time on Friday, however even a day after Trump confronted recent prison fees, it was the previous president speaking down DeSantis fairly than the opposite means round.

Trump, who has all 12 months relentlessly attacked DeSantis, his nearest rival for the Republican nomination, advised a crowd of Iowa Republicans “to not take an opportunity” on the Florida governor he mockingly calls “DeSanctus”, amongst different nicknames.

DeSantis was seen as a serious risk to Trump firstly of the 12 months however his marketing campaign has been flagging in current weeks.

He declined to go after Trump on the Republican Lincoln Day dinner in Des Moines, the place the 2 males and 11 different Republican White Home hopefuls got 10 minutes every in entrance of 1,200 attendees.

Just one Republican candidate – Will Hurd, a former Texas congressman and a longshot, went after Trump – and he was booed after he mentioned: “Donald Trump is working to remain out of jail”.

Trump has been indicted twice this 12 months, and his ballot numbers within the Republican presidential nomination race hold going up.

In March, he was charged in New York over falsifying enterprise data over an alleged hush cash cost to a porn star, which Trump has pleaded not responsible to.

In June, Trump confronted but extra fees when particular counsel Jack Smith unveiled a 37-count indictment accusing him of willful retention and improper sharing of nationwide protection data.

Thursday’s recent fees have been associated to that case, when Trump was charged with ordering a member of workers at his Florida dwelling to delete safety movies to thwart an FBI investigation, amongst three new prison counts towards Trump, bringing the entire to 40.

Nonetheless, Trump dominates the Republican subject, and his lead has grown stronger for the reason that prison fees. It performs into his central argument that he’s a sufferer of a runaway Justice Division.

The issue for DeSantis and his different rivals is that they haven’t but labored out a approach to counter a frontrunner who’s going through a number of prison fees. DeSantis has shied away from attacking Trump over the indictments, out of concern of alienating the Republican base.

But when the Florida governor doesn’t work out a approach to tackle Trump straight, pollsters say he and the others are working out of time to cease Trump changing into the nominee.

Trump’s lead over DeSantis, who has been slipping within the polls, is roughly 30%, whereas not one of the different Republican hopefuls have damaged out of single digits, in response to polls.