If there’s a better candidate for the 2024 election than Ron DeSantis, I don’t know who they are, and that includes Donald Trump himself. Of course, that could change, but right now, I know who I’d vote for in the primaries.

DeSantis has built a reputation as a no-nonsense fighter who’s wiling to go right at the media for their lies and distortions. That has, of course, become a chief quality that Republicans look for in their leaders.

Today, DeSantis was faced with a reporter who decided to try a gotcha out about the Rebekah Jones flap. She asked him if he knew about the “raid” on her house in an obvious attempt to insinuate DeSantis orchestrated it for political payback. Things didn’t go well for said reporter.

#WATCH: Gov. DeSantis spars with reporter over Rebekah Jones investigation, question about FDLE 'raid' https://t.co/7sFhLNKc8I pic.twitter.com/ArsK79vjxu

— WPTV (@WPTV) December 11, 2020

As DeSantis notes, he didn’t know about the police action beforehand, but it also was completely proper. It was not a “raid.” It was the lawful execution of a search warrant on a woman who has been shown to be a criminal and scam artist. That CNN entertains her idiocy doesn’t not lend it credibly. Quite the contrary. Jones’ IP address was linked to a felony hack of state records.

You’ll also recall that Jones lied about her job for the media way back in the early days of the pandemic. She presented herself as some kind of super-scientist who designed and ran the state’s data collection on COVID. In reality, she was just an insubordinate employee trying to play politics. Eventually, she lost her job for her actions. DeSantis had no fear in getting rid of her, and he’s expertly taken the media to task for their reporting on the story since then.

Here’s what I like about DeSantis. He’s got Donald Trump’s policies, fire, and fight in a form that can actually win many of the battles Trump lost because of a lack of discipline and an inability to understand that you can’t just pointlessly alienate everyone but your base. I know me saying that will rub some the wrong way, but I think it’s true. Trump ushered in a new era, but he’s not the embodiment of perfection when it comes to that era. DeSantis may not be either, but he’s an obvious evolution on the groundwork laid by Trump. The way he’s handled his state during the pandemic, making his critics look like fools, has been a welcome sight, and it stands in stark contrast to most other Republicans. DeSantis has a unique ability to not only attack the media, but to consistently win against them.

This is your 24 GOP frontrunner pushing back against media malfeasance in an articulated way that makes the reporter in question look like a complete moron (which most journos are).

Trump was not able to do this. Romney would be too scared to try this. The 24 nominee won’t be. https://t.co/KpyGxG8hkJ

— EJ (@Ejmiller25) December 11, 2020

This is why I’m not high on Nikki Haley for 2024, though many in the conservative commentariat are. Trump showed that you can’t just lean on platitudes and well written statements to fight the left. They will chew you up and spit you out. Mitt Romney learned that the hard way in 2012 and decided to just give in. DeSantis is a fighter though, and more importantly, he’s a fighter who throws fight-winning punches.

(Please follow me on Twitter! @bonchieredstate)