DeSantis puts ice on potential 2024 matchup with Trump

What he said: At the news conference Wednesday, DeSantis looked to calm the waters over the 2024 election cycle, saying his eyes are on the Georgia runoff election, "which is very important for Republicans to win."

• He said his reelection in Florida "was the biggest bright spot — it was not so bright in many other parts of the country. It was a substandard performance given the dynamics that are at play."
• “The good thing about winning a big victory, we've got supermajorities in the legislature now and really, I think, we have an opportunity to continue great momentum,” DeSantis said.

Context: DeSantis' stock has been rising after his massive victory over Democrat Charlie Crist during the midterms, which showed he has the potential to be a presidential contender, Axios' Zachary Basu writes.

• But his rise comes as Trump has prepared his own candidacy. The former president has issued repeated attacks and barbs against DeSantis, calling him "average" and "desperate," and even gave him the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious."

• The Florida governor responded to the repeated barbs, saying, “At the end of the day, I would just tell people to go check out the scoreboard" from the midterms, WTSP reports.

More from Axios:

• More voters prefer DeSantis to Trump as 2024 GOP nominee: Poll
• Huge DeSantis win shows presidential punch
• Trump's low-energy reset