Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has finally made his presidential ambitions known, but his message of being a better version of former President Donald Trump without being Trump could fall flat when he steps out on the campaign trail.

At the same time, the governor, who announced his bid for the 2024 Republican nomination during a Twitter Spaces event alongside Elon Musk, is adamant he can take the White House on his own terms.

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Trump is the "America First" original, according to Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, as the former president trends, on average, 37 percentage points ahead of DeSantis in very early primary polls.

"Nobody wants Ron DeSantis, a lowly tribute band that plays off key and can't read the notes," Cheung told the Washington Examiner.

In an ad released Wednesday, Trump super PAC MAGA, Inc. also criticized DeSantis as a "swamp creature," contending "there are big differences" between Trump and DeSantis based on the governor's voting record as a congressman from 2013 to 2018.

But fellow Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, a former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor, has dismissed DeSantis as a Trump "echo," sensing weakness after the governor received backlash regarding his positions on Ukraine, Disney, and, arguably, abortion.

"The DeSantis elevator pitch can be summed up as: 'I’m like Trump without the drama,'" Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney wrote in a memo this week. "DeSantis might not have Trump’s taste for incendiary tweets, but make no mistake: his record shows that his 'leadership style' will only lead to more drama."

"Today, DeSantis is echoing Trump on everything from policy to his body language and hand gestures," she said. "Ron DeSantis is like Trump, drama and all — but without any of the charm."

DeSantis disputes Trump comparisons, though simultaneously maintains he is more electable and has been more effective than Trump as Florida's governor, in addition to declaring his candidacy on Twitter, once the former president's favored social media platform.

“[President Joe] Biden, Trump, and me," DeSantis told donors last week during a fundraiser phone call hosted by his super PAC Never Back Down. "I think of those three, two have a chance to get elected president — Biden and me.”

“We must reject the culture of losing that has impacted our party in recent years," he added to voters the week before in Iowa. “If we get distracted, if we focus the election on the past or on other side issues, then I think the Democrats are going to beat us again.”

As a candidate, DeSantis will be facing more pressure to respond to Trump's criticism than when he could claim he was preoccupied with Florida's legislative session as the former president's super PAC spent $12.5 million undermining the governor for his entitlement program and tax reform stances, even how he reportedly once ate a cup of chocolate pudding.

But DeSantis, too, hopes to appeal to Trump's supporters, as he did in 2018 when he first ran for governor and conceded as much during a leaked debate preparation tape. DeSantis's supporters have previewed a strategy where he will prioritize reacting to Trump on policy rather than personal attacks. The governor's super PAC and his allies, however, are set to make a $200 million counteroffensive.

"DeSantis is trying to run against Trump without upsetting Trump’s base," Republican strategist Alex Conant said. "That’s hard to do under any circumstance but even more so when Trump is punching him daily. Ultimately, every candidate’s campaign needs to establish a unique brand and build its own base of support."

DeSantis is trying to convince Trump's supporters that he is "an acceptable alternative," but the former president's base may not be "receptive," per Northeastern University political science professor and Chairman Costas Panagopoulos.

"For many, it's either Trump or nothing. There is no room for a Trump stand-in," he said. "Even if Trump's candidacy collapses, for whatever reason, many Trump loyalists will not convert. Their support is not ideological; it's personal."

DeSantis, 44, will now crisscross the country as he continues to introduce himself to the public, particularly to voters in early nominating states, countering concerns he lacks interpersonal skills and differentiating himself from an older Trump, 76, and Biden, 80. But his first stop will be a fundraiser in Miami on Thursday, which will be protested by Trump's super PAC and the Democratic National Committee.

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"DeSantis is trying to thread a very fine needle," Panagopoulos said. "In the end, it may not be possible, especially given the fact that he is relatively new to the political scene and that he brings some baggage, along with some unforced errors that may be perceived as liabilities in the general election."

A CNN poll published Wednesday found Trump is the preferred candidate for 53% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters, more than double DeSantis's 26%. Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to announce his own campaign in the coming days, are the first choice for 6% of conservative respondents. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and former New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie have 2% support. Roughly 85% would consider Trump and DeSantis, while 61% would think about Haley, 60% Scott, and 55% Pence.