Democrats drop oppo dump on Ron DeSantis in effort to derail White House hopes

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Ron DeSantis goes after Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, Biden in New York speech

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg over former President Donald Trump's indictment and ripped President Biden as "controlled" by leftists in a recent speech in Long Island, NY.

A top progressive group dropped volumes of opposition research Monday against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in an effort to derail his presidential campaign before he even announces.

The research, released as a standalone website titled "DeSantisResearchBook," seeks to establish DeSantis as a "MAGA extremist," and highlights his voting record in Congress as well as his actions as governor. American Bridge 21st Century, the group behind the dump, calls DeSantis a "failed governor" and a "hypocrite," though there are no significant allegations in the report.

The website breaks down DeSantis' political history into an issue-by-issue format, detailing his voting record and positions on issues like hurricane relief, abortion and the economy.

American Bridge deems DeSantis a "bumbling, corrupt and authoritarian politician" over his feud with Disney last year, a move whose popularity broke largely along party lines.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faced an opposition research dump from a top progressive group this week, seeking to label him as a "MAGA extremist." (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

DeSantis is "caught up in culture wars, unfit for office and utterly unprepared for the public pressure that comes with a contentious Republican presidential primary," American Bridge president Pat Dennis told Axios.

DeSantis is widely seen as the most credible rival for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, though he has yet to announce his campaign. While DeSantis leads Trump in a handful of states, he trails the former president in most polling.

DeSantis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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The site confirms that many Democrats view DeSantis as a major threat to President Biden's re-election chances should he win the Republican nomination. American Bridge also released an opposition research website targeting Trump in 2020.

The only Republicans who have formally announced campaigns so far are Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Nevertheless, several major players are still expected to enter the race, including DeSantis himself.

Trump was the subject of an opposition research dump from American Bridge in 2020 that was very similar to the one targeting DeSantis. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

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Vice President Mike Pence is the most likely to throw his hat in the ring in the near future, while former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is also a potential candidate.