- DeSantis sees the Jan. 6 hearings as a way to get Trump indicted, an anonymous source told Politico.
- The hearings have been politically damaging for the former president, and could result in a criminal referral.
"That's where his head is at. He thinks the goal here is to get main justice to go after him," A Republican consultant described as familiar with DeSantis' thinking told Politico. "That's what Ron thinks this is all about."'
Insider has contacted DeSantis' office for comment.
In recent weeks, the January 6 committee has presented evidence of Trump's involvement in a wide-ranging scheme to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election.
Trump has long stirred rumors that he going to launch another bid for the presidency in 2024, but according to the Politico report, GOP donors are wearying of the scandals surrounding the former president and eyeing potential challengers, including DeSantis.
DeSantis once cast himself as a loyal ally of the former president, but is now considered Trump's leading rival for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.
Though neither has officially declared their candidacy, both are widely believed to be preparing for White House bids. Politico reported last week that DeSantis would not be seeking Trump's endorsement for reelection in November's midterms.
DeSantis beat Trump in a University of New Hampshire poll of Republican voters ahead of the state's primary last week, though the former president retains a significant lead nationally, according to an aggregate of polls by FiveThirtyEight.
The January 6 hearings have focused on claims that Trump knew, or should have known, that his claim the election was stolen from him were false, yet continued to push them in his bid to overturn his defeat.
This could result in the committee making a criminal referral about the former president to the Justice Department, which would then decide whether or not to prosecute the former president.