DeSantis defended Trump - then took a dig at 'porn star hush money'. What's his strategy?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, when asked about rumours of former President Donald Trump's impending indictment, denounced the man in charge of the investigation, New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

What the man who might be Mr Trump's most formidable presidential rival said next, however, was telling.

"I don't know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair," he said. "I just I can't speak to that."

He went on to mention "porn star hush money payments" a second time, before pivoting back to criticism of what he called a "high-profile politicised prosecution" by someone he said was backed by deep-pocketed liberal donor George Soros.

The Florida governor seemed to go out of his way to emphasise the tawdry origins of the potential crimes being investigated, even while denouncing the investigation itself.

That could be a sign of how Mr Trump's presidential rivals handle a possible arrest and criminal trial for falsifying business records and state campaign finance law violations.

But even oblique attacks risk attracting Mr Trump's attention - and ire. And it wasn't long before the former president fired back at Mr DeSantis.

"Ron will probably find out about this sometime in the future when he's unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman (or possibly a man!) with false accusations," he posted on his social media site, Truth Social. Mr Trump later deleted the post and replaced it with a lengthier response. His campaign team also sent out a press release criticising what they painted as a tepid response from the governor.

Mr DeSantis had been under pressure from Trump supporters to defend the former president and denounce the prosecution ever since Mr Trump speculated on Truth Social that he would be arrested on Tuesday.

"Pay attention to which Republicans spoke out against this corrupt BS immediately and who sat on their hands and waited to see which way the wind was blowing," Mr Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, tweeted on Sunday.

Jason Miller, one of Mr Trump's closest 2024 campaign advisers, on Saturday specifically denounced Mr DeSantis' "radio silence". He contrasted the Florida governor's lack of a response with the quick and direct denunciation by former Vice-President Mike Pence, one of Mr Trump's other possible 2024 campaign rivals.

"I think many Americans are taken aback at the unprecedented indictment of a former president, but also the fact that the Manhattan DA, in the midst of a crime wave in New York City, then says that indicting the former president is his highest priority," he said on Saturday. "It tells you everything you need to know about the liberal left in this country."

Mr Trump's possible arrest poses a unique set of challenges - and opportunities - for his presidential rivals.

With so many Republicans quick to attack Mr Bragg and paint the investigation as a liberal political vendetta, it could boost Mr Trump's popularity among conservative voters, who would view a lack of enthusiastic support for the former president to be tacit support for his Democratic antagonists.

An "us against them" narrative, where "us" centres around Mr Trump, could relegate all of his Republican opponents to the political sidelines. It's why Mr DeSantis' decision to emphasise "porn star hush money payments" could be a sound political strategy.

Republican voters have told pollsters in the past that while they approve of Mr Trump's policies, they have concerns about his lack of focus and chaos surrounding his time in office. Mr DeSantis may want to remind them that this investigation arose from personal indiscretions.

Even without direct attacks on the former president by his Republican rivals, an indictment comes with serious political risks for Mr Trump, and not just the possibility of an eventual criminal conviction.

If he is arrested, Mr Trump will be fingerprinted and photographed - mug shots that will be splashed across newspapers and television programmes throughout the campaign.

A criminal trial could also be a serious distraction for the former president, potentially taking him off the campaign trail for court appearances and to prepare his legal defence.

It is a politically fraught situation as much as it is a legal one - a high-wire act for Mr Trump and his fellow Republicans, where a misstep could have serious consequences.