Republican presidential aspirants are already proving to be an irritant for President Joe Biden long before the 2024 Iowa caucuses.

Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz is protesting Biden administration nominees by holding up their confirmations, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is fundraising off his coronavirus response flaps with the president, 2.5 years before the first primary votes are even cast. But Biden’s different reactions to the pair are revealing regarding his strategy for 2022 and 2024.