DeSantis argues he’s top Trump alternative even as ex-president’s indictment overshadows 2024 race

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his wife, Casey, and their children attend a rodeo in Ponca, Okla., Saturday, June 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Thomas Beaumont)

PONCA, Okla. (AP) — Ron DeSantis ventured far from the usual presidential campaign trail Saturday, heading to a rodeo in reliably red Oklahoma to make the case that he’s the top alternative to Donald Trump — even as the former president’s indictment threatens to upend the 2024 Republican primary race.