Surely DeSantis knows this. It’s factored into his calculation. He is laying the groundwork not for a 2024 primary challenge to Trump but to be Trump’s 2024 understudy. Should Trump find himself not feeling well or suffering from a case of unexpected prisonitis, DeSantis will be there, waiting in the wings for the ceremonial shofar to be blown as he is called to the stage by an adoring crowd of insurrectionists.

What’s sad is that so many Good Republicans had really hoped that DeSantis would be something more than a Trump knockoff. See the berating Liz Cheney took over the weekend from the anti-anti Twitterati because she had the nerve to tell the New York Times she thought it would be e “very difficult” to support DeSantis as a Trump alternative in 2024.

“I think that Ron DeSantis has lined himself up almost entirely with Donald Trump, and I think that’s very dangerous,” Cheney said.

By holding unity rallies with Lake and Mastriano, DeSantis proved Cheney right. Although anyone with any sense should have seen it coming. Because there’s no difference between DeSantis endorsing Trump and DeSantis endorsing all the other election deniers, when you think about it.