‘We want Trump to kill his own babies,’ why Never Trumpers want Trump to run in 2024

CNN states that a rift between the two leaders is growing due to the popularity of DeSantis, and his refusal to publicly rule out the possibility of a 2024 presidential run.

"The simmering tension between Trump and DeSantis comes as the former President himself inches closer to another campaign for the White House in 2024. Trump has been closely tracking what rumored Republican presidential hopefuls have said about their own interest in running, and is most interested in those -- like DeSantis -- who command significant popularity with his core supporters," wrote CNN.

Two people close with the matter told CNN that DeSantis has private told Trump and others that he has no intention of challenging the former president in a GOP presidential primary.

Those sources though, noted that Trump "won't be fully satisfied until the governor says so publicly."

This rift between the two leaders has opened the door for Trump opponents to use it to their advantage, with the Lincoln Project using the rift to get Trump on the 2024 ticket, only so he can lose.

"Some Trump foes have picked up on the former President's jealousy and are using it to advance their own objectives," wrote CNN. "Next week, Palm Beach televisions, perhaps including those in Mar-a-Lago, will once again air a commercial by the Lincoln Project intended to remind Trump that DeSantis is the new GOP 'it' guy."

"Rick Wilson, one of the ex-Republicans behind the Lincoln Project, is hoping to provoke a very specific reaction from Trump," they continued.

"We want Trump to kill his own babies," Wilson told CNN. "We believe if we narrow the field and it's only Trump in 2024, it's an easy choice for Americans to say 'no.'"

The Lincoln Project, a political action committee formed by former and current Republicans in 2019, was "launched with two stated objectives. The first was to defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box. The second was to ensure Trumpism failed alongside him. As we have seen, our fight against Trumpism is only beginning. We must combat these forces everywhere and at all times. Our democracy depends on it," according to their website.

Most recently, the organization took credit for the appearance of torch-bearing "white supremacists" outside a Glenn Youngkin campaign event in Virginia. The people that participated in the stunt were dressed to imitate the tragic Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.