Could the Mar-a-Lago raid catapult Trump to the top of the heap? He’s already there, with no real candidates within reach of the former president. We all saw what Trump did to the 2016 field—he destroyed them.

Yet, as Trump garners united GOP support regarding the ransacking of his home, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis could be the only alternative for those looking to turn the page on the billionaire. The Florida governor has much upside based on a new swing voter poll.

In short, DeSantis seems to be the island for salvation for GOP voters who are tiring of the endless legal drama surrounding Trump, which is equally disturbing since it shows that the Left’s stratagem of using the DOJ to stain Trump’s brand is working.

DeSantis is managing not just his re-election effort but the disaster relief operation after Hurricane Ian, a massive category four storm, slammed into his state this week, inflicting an estimated $40 billion worth of damage. It’s another test for the rising Republican, who already has a solid record regarding how he’s managed the Sunshine State. He’s also shown to be adept at eviscerating false liberal media narratives. The only unknown factor is if he could withstand the relentless attacks by Trump on a debate stage. If he can, then this will be a bloody affair.

One commentator at Townhall wanted to know why I was sensationalizing the duel between these two men emerging as the face of the Republican Party. It’s not that I want to—it’s just a fact. Trump and DeSantis command significant swaths of the base and can fill a war chest to sustain a presidential run. It’s not like the 2016 field, which was quickly exposed as being too vanilla, too establishment, too detached, and egregiously unprepared for primetime.

The properties of matter apply to this political situation: two objects cannot occupy the same space simultaneously. That’s Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump. Yes, both men love America and see the Democratic Party as too extreme for the electorate—and they’re right. But when has friendship, or at the public appearance of it, ever trump political ambition?

There are many scenarios here, but maybe DeSantis will bow out, realizing that he’s a young man and can run again in the future. Trump doesn’t have that luxury. The Florida governor could opt to become Trump’s VP in some unity ticket, which could help strengthen the GOP as DeSantis does appeal to the more Trump skeptic wing of the party. If there is a war, both men will establish their respective camps, raise money, and set up a decisive battle on the debate stage, where DeSantis could wither against Trump, ending the game. If DeSantis can absorb the blows and deliver some as well, then we have a slogging match that will damage both candidates ahead of the general election. It’s not what I want this potential nomination fight to devolve into a destructive conflict, but it most likely will be if both men run, given their personalities.

With that said, I can vote for either man, but the FBI’s Trump raid has me heavily leaning towards the former president again so we can dole out sweet revenge on the DOJ, among the many other things, like rebuilding this economy that’s been wrecked by Biden.