logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
43m 37s

‘Right Where We Want Him, 30 Points Up’:...

The New York Times
About this episode

At the start of the 2024 Republican primary campaign, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida was considered by many in his party to be the biggest threat to Donald Trump. He was seen as someone who could win over the voters who were tired of Trump’s antics, and also bring along the MAGA movement. But it didn’t work out that way. And as Mr. DeSantis has struggled, one main opponent, former Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, has seen her star — and her standing in the polls — rise.

Still, as the Trump alternatives crisscross Iowa and New Hampshire trying to appeal to voters, polling averages put the former president ahead by an average of 35 points.

Now, with just days to go until the Iowa caucuses, we ask: Did anti-Trump Republicans rally around the wrong candidates? And have they run out of time to fix it?

Do you have a question about the 2024 election? We want to hear from you. Fill out this form or email us a voice memo at therunup@nytimes.com

Up next
Nov 2024
What Democrats Think Went Wrong
A year ago, Astead took “The Run-Up” listeners home for Thanksgiving.Specifically, he convened a focus group of family and friends to talk about the election and the question of Black people’s changing relationship to the Democratic Party.This year, he got the group back together ... Show More
49m 6s
Nov 2024
The Man in Charge of Trump’s Border Policy
President-elect Trump’s cabinet nominees and major appointments — which have arrived quickly in the days since he won the election — are more than just a list of allies. The roster is a window into how he sees the mission of a second term.One priority will be immigration and bord ... Show More
31m 44s
Nov 2024
One Voter to Understand Trump’s Win
For more than two years, we’ve been asking pretty much everyone we meet a version of the same question:Who are you going to vote for and why?And on Wednesday morning, we had the answer to that question. Or at least the first part.Donald Trump easily won the electoral vote, and as ... Show More
19m 45s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2024
From Washington: Senator Tim Scott Stands By President Trump
Former President Trump is favored to win the South Carolina GOP primary, even seeing support from a former opponent native to the state. Republican South Carolina Senator Tim Scott says, "The people have spoken," and they want to see another Trump presidency. He discusses why he ... Show More
34m 14s
Aug 2023
Did California Just Make it Easier For the GOP to Nominate Donald Trump to a Second Term?
Johanna Maska takes a look at the California Republican Executive Committee’s vote to rewrite the rules of the state's delegate distribution—a move that gives an edge to the current frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. The party adopted new rules that give all of the state ... Show More
17m 34s
Oct 2024
US House Republican and Trump Supporter Dan Crenshaw
Speaking from the Ellipse in Washington last night, where Donald Trump had rallied his supporters on January 6th, Kamala Harris reminded voters of the Capitol insurrection and Trump's outspoken threats to democracy. The former president continues to stoke fears of widespread vote ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2024
Trump's Top General Uses the F-Word
"Fascist to the core." That's how Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under Donald Trump, describes Trump in a new book—and that was before Trump's new comments about using the military against the "enemy within." Jon, Lovett, and Tommy break down the latest and scarie ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 2024
Trump Is So Beatable
Donald Trump returns to form in a rambling, divisive, and endless acceptance speech certain to remind swing voters why they don't like him, and to remind Democrats that they can beat him. The question now is, who will be the Democratic nominee to turn the race around? With more a ... Show More
50m 59s
Nov 2024
Will late campaign gaffes trash either candidate’s chances?
Polling shows the election is gridlocked in a tie. With both candidates preaching existential threats if they lose, and promising to save the country if they win, is fear or vibes a greater force in this election? Even after an assassination attempt, a sitting president stepping ... Show More
50m 34s
Nov 2024
Stunning Poll Shows Harris Leading Trump in Iowa
While national polls continue to forecast a virtual tie in the US presidential race, a new one in Iowa showing Harris leading Trump by three points in that ruby-red state has raised the question of whether pollsters have been missing a critical voting bloc that could determine th ... Show More
1 h
Jan 2024
Brutal Arctic blast paralyzes Iowa ahead of caucuses
Nobody can forecast what the voter turnout is going to be on Monday. Are we in for an Iowa surprise?Plus, Mike in the middle – the fury within the House GOP as Speaker Johnson tries to dodge a shutdown amid pressure from Republican hardliners on spending, and new reporting on the ... Show More
43m 11s
Aug 2024
The Republican Plan to Challenge a Harris Victory
At the Democratic National Convention, party officials are celebrating polls showing that Kamala Harris is now competitive with Donald Trump in every major swing state across the country.But in one of those swing states, Republicans have laid the groundwork to challenge a potenti ... Show More
28m 13s
Aug 2024
US politics: Trump and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad month
Not so long ago, Donald Trump was riding high in the polls; the mood music was positive for his presidential campaign. Then Joe Biden dropped out of the election race. After months of campaigning against his old foe, Trump now seems to be missing him and struggling to come up wit ... Show More
28m 21s