>

Trump won't become president if he isn't the nominee. If he runs independent, Biden gets reelected. I think he would take what he can get from the Republican nominee, whether that be a Pardon, a cabinet position, a judicial appointment, whatever. The details don't really matter. The point is that Trump, assuming he's smart enough to see what's in his best interest (and we've seen that being self-interested is Trump's only talent), he'll threaten a run to get concessions and then endorse the GOO nominee in order to get those concessions.
There will be no policy debates. Trump has no policies, only grievances. There will, by the time the "debates" roll around, be plenty of dirty laundry aired on both sides, so expect feces flinging. >

I can only imagine it's posturing and literal dick-measuring. Trump didn't have any policies outside of Build That Wall and Drain the Swamp. DeSantis at least might have actual policy proposals as he actually has experience as a politician, but Trump won't meet him where he is. And then they just argue about who is cooler than the other >


literal dick-measuring.

Oh god I forgot that happened in the gop primary in 2015. And that was considered a low point then. >

It was one of those moments where everyone went "Wait. What...?" and just kind of tried to forget about it and move on because it was pretty awkward. But now it's  just another extraordinarily embarrassing thing in a gigantic pile of embarrassing things. >

By the standards of his presidency it's not even that embarrassing. >

DeSantis will likely support Ukraine, whereas Trump will likely push for limited support. DeSantis has actually support green energy in Florida - he vetoed a bill written by big energy in Florida that would have curbed benefits of solar energy; Trump will continue his coal banter to win the rural poor whites. DeSantis has been pretty moderate on abortion bans, Trump would likely support national bans. A few points that quickly come to mind. >

I think DeSantis is staking out a position to Trump's right on vaccines. >

agreed. He's also more vocal on his "anti-woke" agenda. CRT and anti-trans rights. He scares me because he's less belligerent in his speeches but more calculating in his policies. He galvanized the Latino vote in FL this cycle and may expand it nationally. Surprisingly he gave teachers a significant raise in FL, but I imagine he doesn't promote that as policy nationally. >

But now he’s taking on teachers unions and actively politicizing school board elections by going after those who were okay with masks in schools. DeSantis is vindictive af when it comes to opposition. Danger to the country 100%. >

There is no ban on mask-wearing in Florida. People can wear masks if they choose. Something not being mandated doesn’t make it illegal. >

He also took many efforts to prohibit businesses and schools from being able to take appropriate Covid-19 mitigation measures (actual litigation against many like the schools and cruise industry). Clearly a wanna-be strong man. >

Uh huh, such as? I imagine your spin doesn’t quite line up with the facts. >

I think the person is referring to DeSantis supporting legislation that penalizes schools for mask mandates >

Yes, and? Mask wearing isn’t banned. >

I’m not sure what comment you are referring to about mask bans.  The chain I am reading is about efforts to penalize businesses and schools for mask mandates. And that would be correct- DeSantis did go after schools and educators that enforced mask mandates. >

It would just be some unintelligible yelling for a couple of hours.
Source: the 2016 GOP primary debates. >

Don't underestimate Desantis. The man is no dummy. >

It's amazing how so many people think "disagree with my political beliefs" = "profoundly stupid in every way".
The reason the 2015 primaries devolved into a circus is because the other candidates were completely unprepared for Trump's style. Go watch them on youtube. Jeb Bush stammered and stuttered at times on stage because he couldn't figure out how to respond. It's a different world now and people are prepared. DeSantis is many things, but a political doof he is not. The man won governorship of a swing state in a blue wave year (2018), and then won reelection by the highest margin of any Florida governor race in the last twenty years. He is good at politics and electioneering.
If he does run - which I still am skeptical about - he will run with a solid electoral plan that involves more than just yelling incoherently at Trump during debates. >

I’m going to disagree on DeSantis’ debating abilities. Just a few months ago during the Florida elections he was left speechless and stammering on a question of if he won would he see through his term instead of running for president. Though I would say Trump has lost his fastball and can’t debate at the level he did in 2016 so who really knows >

I find this talking point really strange regarding him being “speechless” during the debate. He is waiting for his time to start - he even says to the moderator “is it my time yet?” And the proceeds to deliver the most memorable line of the debate. I don’t think he’s the counter puncher that Trump is, but the dude can debate >

As a matter of campaign strategy I don't think either Trump or DeSantis engage in specific policy discussions. Rather they tend to speak in proclamations that leave the listener free to fill in the blanks. 
I don't think we will ever see Trump and DeSantis on a debate stage. Trump will not tolerate a real challenge for the Republican nomination. If the Republican party doesn't clear the field for Trump to be the nominee I think Trump will aggressively attack party leadership. It would jeopardize elections all over the map if Trump tells his loyalists not to vote Republican. >

I think that if the Republicans nominate a not-trump canidate, the nominee will promise Trump a pardon for an endorsement. If Trump hasn't gone from "Batshit crazy politically" to "Batshit crazy in literally every walk of life" by then, he'll realize that a pardon is worth a lot more than his (already crumbling) pride.
Or maybe I'm overestimating the intelligence of both a theoretical GOP nominee and Trump here. >

Trump has been in and out of court his whole life. At no point has Trump ever been accountable for anything. I don't think at 76yrs Trump is suddenly going to become fearful of accountability. 
Besides, if Trump becomes President again he can pardon himself and everyone else he sees fit. So why would Trump bother cutting a deal?