Does Ron DeSantis really want Donald Trump to campaign for him in Florida?

(This post has been updated to reflect that Pres. Trump will visit Florida on July 31.)

According to a report in POLITICO’s Florida Playbook, President Donald Trump is slated to visit the Sunshine State to campaign for U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis on July 31.

Instead of when he is coming, maybe the better question to ask is whether Trump should campaign for DeSantis in the GOP primary?

Depending on whether you like your polling with a “loose screen” or a “tight sample,” DeSantis is either ahead a few points over Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam or he’s ahead by at least two touchdowns. Even those polls which sample the most dedicated of Republican voters — and are thought to slightly prefer Putnam over DeSantis — there’s no denying that since their televised debate on Fox News and since Trump reiterated on Twitter his “full endorsement,” the momentum has shifted to DeSantis. Even the numbers coming out of the Putnam-leaning Florida Chamber of Commerce show this as DeSantis’ share of the vote has risen by 15 points over the last month, while Putnam’s has increased by just four points.

Now, if you believe that DeSantis is essentially tied with Putnam, you probably think Trump should come to Tampa and hold a rally for him at the Florida State Fairgrounds. What better way to make the case with Trump-loving primary voters that DeSantis is Trump’s guy than to have POTUS talk about him for thirty seconds during one of his hour-long “Make America Great Again” stemwinders?

But if you are in the camp that thinks DeSantis is up double-digits on Putnam — and that’s what DeSantis campaign says its internal polls show — do you really want Trump campaigning for you in Florida?

This is not the usual Trump-bashing you’ll read in so many other places. This is a question asked with the acknowledgment that Trump’s national approval rating is at one of its highest levels of his presidency AND the belief that Trump is probably even more popular in Florida than he is in other places.

But, assuming he wins the GOP primary (and that’s still a big if) does DeSantis want to be standing next to Trump during the general election campaign? Does his campaign want to provide its opponents with all the visuals it needs of Trump saying something controversial while in Florida?

Will the president say something ridiculous about a Florida issue, thereby forcing DeSantis to either contradict his patron or be tagged with supporting whatever ridiculous position the president has taken. (It was only last month that Trump questioned the wisdom of George H. Bush’s Thousand Points of Light legacy.)

If DeSantis is cruising to victory, what’s the upside in bringing the president to Florida, other than the ego boost of saying you did so?

Of course, DeSantis may only be a few points ahead of Putnam and may need a presidential rally to close out the race.

There are those in DeSantis World who would suggest that not bringing in Trump is the equivalent of playing prevent defense and the only thing that does is prevent you from winning.

So let’s keep an eye on the calendar, especially the red-circled day of July 31, to see whether DeSantis believes he’s up by a lot or a little.