Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is no longer veiling his presidential ambitions or his criticism of former President Trump, taking a new gloves-off approach in a wide-ranging — and rare — interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.

Why it matters: DeSantis and Trump have long been on a collision course as the two front-runners for the 2024 GOP nomination. Trump's escalating attacks on his former ally have become more personal in recent weeks — and now DeSantis is punching back.

Driving the news: Hours after igniting outrage in Trumpworld with a shot at Trump over the former president's alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, DeSantis told Morgan that the "underlying conduct" in the Manhattan DA's investigation is "outside my wheelhouse."

• "At the end of the day as a leader, you really want to look to people like our Founding Fathers," DeSantis said when Morgan asked if personal conduct in a leader matters.
• "[I]t’s not saying that you don’t ever make a mistake in your personal life, but I think, what type of character are you bringing?"

"Truth is essential," DeSantis responded when asked if there’s been a departure from the truth being a key component of leadership. "We have to agree that there’s a certain reality to the world we live in."

Zoom in: DeSantis suggested that his landslide re-election victory in November is why Trump's attitude toward him has changed — laughing off some of the nicknames the former president has lobbed his way.

• "I don’t know how to spell the sanctimonious one. I don’t really know what it means, but I kinda like it, it’s long, it’s got a lot of vowels," DeSantis joked, referring to Trump's "Ron DeSanctimonious" moniker.

The big picture: DeSantis told Morgan that if he does decide to run for president, it's his success in attracting independent voters in Florida that will help vault him to the White House.

• He insisted his focus will be on running against President Biden, not Trump — though getting through a grueling GOP primary would be DeSantis' first challenge.
• The governor cited the pressure on his "young family" as one reason he may not end up running — but every indication is he's speeding toward an announcement after Florida's legislative session ends in May.

Between the lines: The symbolism of the exclusive DeSantis interview landing in the New York Post — the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper in the city where Trump is expected to be indicted — will not be lost on Trump's allies.

• "Just as radical Dems are indicting Trump & destroying the fabric of our nation with their Police State tactics, DeSantis pathetically runs to the liberal media on orders from his RINO establishment owners to attack my father," Donald Trump Jr. tweeted.
• "He's exposing himself as 100% Controlled Opposition!"

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Reality check: DeSantis' support among potential Republican primary voters has dipped to 26%, tying his record low since Morning Consult began tracking in December, according to the latest survey taken March 17-19.

• Trump is up to 54%.

Context: Three weeks ago today, DeSantis began his national book tour — a step we compared to a de facto campaign launch that could open the floodgates to intense scrutiny from his rivals and the media.

• Last week, DeSantis called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "territorial dispute" that does not amount to a "vital U.S. interest," drawing intense criticism from Senate Republicans.
• Yesterday, DeSantis' response to the potential Trump indictment triggered a wave of outrage from the former president and his allies.

Why it matters: The campaign is long and polling will ebb and flow — but the barrage of attacks will only intensify now that DeSantis has crossed the Rubicon.

House Republicans' demand that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg testify before Congress — perhaps their boldest effort yet to protect Trump in his post-presidency — is drawing mixed reactions from their Senate colleagues, Axios' Hans Nichols and Andrew Solender report.

Why it matters: Even if the summons doesn't result in Bragg appearing before House members, the GOP's request could open the door to future Congresses using their considerable investigative powers to try to influence local prosecutorial decisions.

What they're saying: "I personally prefer to see them work on the agenda they ran on and that got them the majority” in the House, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told Axios.

• “I think you’ve got to fall short of getting involved in the legal process,” said Sen. Tom Tillis (R-N.C.), before adding, "I think there is a legitimate question to ask about why are we here."
• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took another perspective, tweeting: "A Trump indictment would be a disgusting abuse of power. The DA should be put in jail."

The big picture: The House GOP's strategy is the latest Trump-era example of how government institutions and traditions are being challenged by highly partisan conflicts.

• "Once this precedent is set, things get broken down,” said Tom Davis, a former Republican House member from Virginia who cited the erosion of the Senate filibuster as one example of how quickly norms can evaporate.
• "In modern times, Congress has stayed away from bringing local officials in for testimony,” he said.
• “But then you get a district attorney, out of nowhere, indicting a former president," he said. "That’s also unprecedented."

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Shot: Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and dozens of TikTok creators with a combined following of over 60 million will hold a press conference at the Capitol tomorrow opposing a ban on the Chinese-owned app, a day before TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before Congress.

Chaser: A cybersecurity company discovered web-tracking code from Chinese TikTok parent ByteDance in 30 U.S. state-government websites, including in states where TikTok has been banned from government devices, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Trump would have the distinction of being the first president or former president to be indicted — but not the first to be arrested, the Washington Post reports:

In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant was arrested at the corner of 13th and M streets NW in Washington. This was not a high crime, but it was — at least theoretically speaking — a misdemeanor.

The man who led the North to victory in the Civil War was busted for speeding in his horse-drawn carriage.

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