NEWS AND OPINION:

Former President Donald Trump faces some serious competition in his quest to win back the White House in 2024 — and we’re talking competition from fellow Republicans here.

The more the merrier, some say.

Indeed, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie all have their eye on the presidency. So does entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

This roster of hopefuls could be a bonus, some say.

“A crowded Republican field would help Trump enormously. It would be difficult for his challengers to differentiate themselves from Trump on policy. Most buy into large parts of the MAGA agenda anyway, where subtle differences matter little,” notes an editorial from TIPP Insights.

“When everyone on a debate stage utters the same message on Ukraine, ‘fake news,’ immigration, crime, the economy, inflation, and Covid, Trump will likely stand out as the person who led on all these matters as the 45th president. No challenger who confronts Trump about 2020 election irregularities will survive the race,” the editorial said.

“At this point in the race, the 2024 nomination is Trump’s to lose,” it later concluded.

INDEFATIGABLE DESANTIS

Here’s a brief but telling update on the whereabouts of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

He continues to have a wall-to-wall schedule. On Wednesday, He traveled to Arizona to meet firsthand with local sheriffs from Arizona, New Mexico and Texas who continue to meet and manage immigration challenges on the southern border.

“We’re taking Florida’s no-nonsense approach to border enforcement nationwide,” he told the officers.

On Wednesday Mr. DeSantis was in Tallahassee, Florida, to sign legislation supporting rural development in the Sunshine State.

On Friday, the governor heads to the North Carolina Republican State Convention in Greensboro. He will have some company. Both former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence are also on the speaker’s roster for the big event.

And last but not least, Mr. DeSantis is off to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday for an event organized by local Republicans and titled “Never Back Down.”

The press, meanwhile, is all over the map when it comes to coverage of Mr. DeSantis. Here’s a pair of dueling headlines from the last 24 hours as an example:

“DeSantis: Inside his rise from obscure member of Congress to presidential contender,” advised CBS News. But Newsweek countered: “Ron DeSantis’ approval rating has collapsed.”

PRO-LIFE APPEAL

Former Vice President Mike Pence has picked up some serious, unquestioning support from a specific group in his quest for the White House.

“Mike Pence is the definition of an unapologetic pro-life leader, a longtime friend of unborn children and their mothers. He has always believed ‘life is winning in America’ and has spent decades working to restore this foundational right in our law – as governor of Indiana, in Congress, and as vice president in the most pro-life administration in history, laying the groundwork for the historic Dobbs victory,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“He understands that science, compassion and the will of the people are on the side of life and that it is the human rights issue of our time. Pence knows the boldness this moment requires more than ever,” she said, pointing out that 25 states have passed laws which embrace pro-life tenets,

“It is the Democrats who are extreme and wrong on this issue. Across the nation, Americans reject the up-to-birth abortion policies of China and North Korea and of today’s Democratic Party. Yet too often, the Democrats get away with hiding their extremism behind ambiguous slogans and rhetoric, and too many babies still face the same brutality of late-term abortion as before,” Mrs. Dannenfelser said.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, by the way, is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide; find them at SBAprolife.org.

REPUBLICAN DADS

Father’s Day is fast approaching, and the Republican Party is ready for it. The GOP is offering a noteworthy selection of cheerful gifts for dads, stepdads, uncles, brothers and those who are like a dad in their family or community.

Among the selections: A MAGA grilling apron, emblazoned with the motto “Make America Grill Again”; GOP-themed whiskey glasses; T-shirts emblazoned with such mottos as “Beat Biden” and “Two Words: Let’s Go Brandon”; plus official red, white and blue GOP socks — among the many choices.

“The patriotic parent in your life deserves nothing but the best, and that’s exactly what you’re getting with these American-made gifts from the only official GOP store,” the Republican Party advises in a message to Inside the Beltway.

The best way to find the online store is to visit GOP.com and access the single pull-down icon on the left side of the page — and click the Shop button. And voila, there you are.

WEEKEND REAL ESTATE

For sale: The Ruben Gridley Wright estate, built in 1882 on 78 acres alongside Lake Erie, in Westfield, New York. Features a grand Queen Anne-style home with eight bedrooms, five baths, elaborate woodwork, stained glass windows, nine-foot doors, five fireplaces, formal dining and living rooms,; 6,994 square feet. Custom chef’s kitchen, verandah, towering brick chimneys. Includes 2,048-square-foot guest house, three-level barn, and equipment shed. Priced at $895,000 through Compass.com; enter R1472707 in the search function.

POLL DU JOUR

• 26% of registered U.S. voters say the “ultimate authority” to decide what gets taught in public schools should be the state board of education.

• 25% think parents should have the ultimate authority.

• 13% cite teachers.

• 10% cite the local school board.

• 7% cite the federal government.

• 2% cite some other authority.

• 2% cite the state legislature.

• 2% cite the state governor.

• 3% cited “something else.”

• 10% are not sure who should have the authority.

SOURCE: A NewsNation survey of 1,000 registered voters conducted May 25-26.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.

• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.