DeSantis nears presidential campaign launch far from peak popularity but signaling a new readiness to take on Trump

Once seen as ascending toward a presidential campaign with momentum in his favor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finds himself on the cusp of an announcement that many of his supporters wished was already behind him.

DeSantis is preparing to launch his White House bid before the end of the month, according to two sources with knowledge of the planning. His political operation is currently moving into a new headquarters in Tallahassee while a super PAC closely aligned with the Florida Republican builds out a national campaign from Atlanta. Next week, he will meet with top fundraisers in South Florida, where he is expected to signal to them that it’s time to start asking their wealthy friends for checks.