DeSantis emerges as a formidable force in Florida, overshadowing Trump's efforts
Former DeSantis staffers create waves by aligning with Trump, questioning the governor's support for the Jewish community Their motivation to embarrass their former boss is evident as they actively recruit colleagues to join the Trump bandwagon, overshadowing Governor DeSantis in Florida
In the realm of Florida politics, a Republican legislator has recently altered his allegiance and is now scrutinizing Gov. Ron DeSantis's backing of the Jewish community, following his affinity for former President Donald Trump. Additionally, another lawmaker, who was previously dismissed by DeSantis, is currently rallying fellow colleagues to join the Trump movement. Meanwhile, a group of former DeSantis political operatives, who had a disagreeable departure from their positions, have now aligned themselves with Trump and are determined to bring about embarrassment to their ex-boss. This sets the stage for the captivating 2024 Revenge Tour.
Trump has gained an advantage in the battle for dominance in their home state by exploiting the divisions between DeSantis and other Florida Republicans. Surprisingly, this strategy has worked more smoothly than expected for Trump's team, as DeSantis has created resentment along his path to political success in the state. As the 2024 campaign intensifies in Florida, the constantly changing relationship between the state's Republicans and these two prominent figures will be prominently showcased.
Trump, DeSantis, and the rest of the GOP primary candidates will be speaking to Florida Republicans at a state party event on Saturday just outside Orlando. The level of support for both candidates will be closely assessed. DeSantis is scheduled to speak in the middle of the day, between Florida Senator Rick Scott, who he has a strained relationship with, and state Representative Randy Fine, the only Jewish Republican lawmaker in the state, who recently criticized DeSantis for not doing enough to combat Nazis and antisemitism in Florida. Scott announced his endorsement of Trump on Thursday, while Fine switched his loyalty to the former president last month.
Before Trump gives the keynote address to conclude the event, two strong allies of his in Florida, Representatives Byron Donalds and Matt Gaetz, will rally the Republicans in attendance.
Next week, the Republican Party will hold its third presidential debate in Miami. However, Trump will not be attending once again and has instead planned counterprogramming in Hialeah. Additionally, the following day, Trump will be meeting with Florida Republicans at Mar-a-Lago, continuing his efforts to win support from party leaders and donors. Meanwhile, DeSantis will be participating in fundraisers within the state.
Simultaneously, DeSantis is showing his continued control over the GOP-controlled state Legislature as lawmakers, at his urging, will reconvene in Tallahassee. Their goal is to pass new sanctions against Iran in response to the recent Hamas attack on Israel. Additionally, they will address the ongoing property insurance crisis in the state, which has been damaging DeSantis' reputation with negative press coverage.
The influence of the governors in the Sunshine State, once unquestioned, has faced numerous setbacks in recent months. As a presidential candidate, DeSantis's struggles have emboldened some Republicans in Florida to distance themselves from him, despite his strong victory in the previous gubernatorial race. As the Iowa caucuses draw near, Trump's lead remains strong in early nominating states and national polls, while DeSantis has slipped into a distant second place, alongside a surging Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina.
DeSantis's efforts to regain his position as the dominant political force in the state have been met with resistance from foes he has gathered over the past decade.
Instead of seeking "15 minutes of fame," Fine, who was dismissed by DeSantis, has prompted his allies to prepare for more lawmakers in the state to change their allegiance. According to a DeSantis adviser, it is anticipated that around six Republican legislators, primarily those who were elected as freshmen last year, will switch sides. State Sen. Joe Gruters, who DeSantis has consistently ignored, is aiding in attracting more Republicans to support Trump. He expects to make an announcement about a promising group in the upcoming weeks. However, Gruters acknowledged that most lawmakers will remain loyal to DeSantis due to the persuasive influence of his line-item veto authority, as Gruters personally experienced when DeSantis removed his projects from the state budget earlier this year after Gruters endorsed Trump.
Gruters recently achieved another significant victory for Trump in Florida: successfully overturning an effort by DeSantis supporters to impose a loyalty pledge on presidential candidates in order to appear on the state's primary ballot. The resounding rejection of this proposal showcased Trump's enduring popularity among Republican Party leaders and dealt a devastating blow to DeSantis loyalists.
"It was a decisive move," Gruters remarked. "It reaffirmed that this party belongs to the president."
State House Speaker Paul Renner expressed that the majority of Republican lawmakers support DeSantis due to his ability to effectively bring GOP triumphs in Florida to a national level. Renner emphasized that elections focus on the future rather than the past and highlighted DeSantis' track record of delivering substantial outcomes, which is recognized by those who reside in Florida and collaborate closely with his team.
DeSantis' campaign emphasizes that the governor maintains a strong position in his home state. According to spokesman Andrew Romeo, despite running against a de facto incumbent president, DeSantis continues to garner support from the majority of elected officials. Romeo stated that Floridians want a leader who will bring results-oriented and effective leadership to Washington, just as DeSantis has demonstrated in Florida.
Former DeSantis staffers
However, there are still numerous Trump advisers and aides who are actively working to prevent DeSantis from attaining the presidency, despite the fact that they used to consider him their boss. It is worth noting that a significant portion of these individuals initially worked for Trump, so their loyalty to him is not surprising. Nevertheless, there are some among them who maintain a strong personal animosity towards DeSantis stemming from acrimonious divorces, sometimes surpassing Trump's own frustration towards his former ally for his alleged "disloyal" decision to pursue a rival presidential campaign.
The presence of former DeSantis staffers in Trump's political operation has prompted some advisors to humorously refer to the former president's campaign as "the 2024 revenge tour." Among these staffers is Susie Wiles, Trump's top campaign adviser, who is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished political operatives in the state. Wiles took charge of DeSantis' gubernatorial campaign in 2018 after facing initial challenges, ultimately leading him to a narrow victory. However, following a public falling out, she was ousted from DeSantis' inner circle the following year. DeSantis subsequently advocated for her removal from Trump's reelection team, as reported by CNN. Despite this, Wiles was eventually reinstated and currently holds a prominent position in Trump's third White House bid.
DeSantis also dismissed staff members who were perceived as more loyal to Wiles. Justin Caporale, an experienced aide, and James Blair, a seasoned political consultant who later became DeSantis' deputy chief of staff, were both let go from the governor's office and are now employed by Trump's campaign. Jennifer Locetta, a former executive director of the state party who, according to two sources, was expelled by DeSantis, has recently joined the staff of a super PAC that supports Trump.
In the meantime, Brian Hughes, a seasoned GOP strategist in Florida who played a major role in orchestrating DeSantis' successful congressional bid in 2012, leads Trump's political operation in the state. A previous employee of DeSantis disclosed that, after winning, DeSantis proclaimed that he no longer required a political adviser to secure his solid Republican position.
"He has severed countless connections," the individual stated. "Furthermore, he exacerbates the situation by adding fuel to the fire, making it impossible to mend those bridges."
A significant number of these advisors and aides possess profound understanding of the governor's motivations, providing them with an advantage in a competition that, until recently, had been controlled by Trump and DeSantis.
DeSantis's strained relationship with Florida's consultant class has resulted in a limited number of experienced campaign operatives compared to Trump in a state that holds symbolic significance for both and is also a crucial delegate prize in the nominating competition. Recently, he ended his partnership with campaign manager Generra Peck, who played a pivotal role in his historic reelection last year. Marc Reichelderfer, a seasoned Republican operative in Florida, is now overseeing preparations for DeSantis's campaign.
However, Trump himself is notorious for quickly going through staff and advisors, and not all have remained loyal to him. Ken Cuccinelli, a former official in Trump's Department of Homeland Security, founded a super PAC called Never Back Down to support DeSantis. The communications team for this organization is led by Matt Wolking and Erin Perrine, both of whom are seasoned veterans from Trump's reelection campaign.
Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, a staunch ally of Governor DeSantis, praised his collaborative and attentive nature.
"I've had consistently positive experiences working with the governor," she stated. "Contrary to what I read in the media, I personally have not witnessed any of the negative portrayals. Often, the criticisms I come across seem motivated by political ambitions rather than the best interest of our state."
According to Trump campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung, any discussion of personal grievances towards primary candidates is misguided. Cheung affirmed that the entire campaign is dedicated to aiding President Trump in winning the primary election, where he is currently leading by significant margins in all polls. Additionally, their aim is to defeat Joe Biden, whom they regard as corrupt, in the general election.
Upstaging the governor
The personal vendettas help explain the lengths that Trump and his allies have traveled to upstage the Florida governor.
During the spring of last year, DeSantis was working on gaining support from lawmakers in Capitol Hill. At the same time, Trump strategized a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago resort, inviting members of the congressional delegation from Florida. The purpose was to gain support in their home state and put pressure on Governor DeSantis.
In the 24 hours before DeSantis traveled to Washington, those representatives started endorsing Trump individually, suggesting a planned and coordinated effort.
Surprisingly, none of the individuals close to Trump anticipated Rep. Greg Steube to express such intense dislike for the governor when he publicly declared his support for the former president. Steube mentioned to Politico that despite being in intensive care due to an accident, Governor DeSantis had never reached out to him. Additionally, it was unexpected that Donalds, who was believed to be a close ally of the governor, would side with Trump even before DeSantis joined the GOP presidential primary.
To add insult to injury, Trump later attended the Iowa State Fair alongside many of those House members, creating a group that seemed aimed at provoking DeSantis, who was simultaneously making an appearance.
During DeSantis' national book tour last spring, Caporale, currently acting as Trump's trusted aide, discreetly dissuaded Republican operatives from associating with the Florida governor, warning of potential expulsion from the Trump sphere. This warning even included the possibility of a future position in the Trump White House. However, it is now understood that this warning is no longer in effect, as DeSantis has experienced a decline in popularity. Gruters expressed his belief that people will ultimately support the candidate they believe has the greatest chance of winning and stated that he holds no resentment towards DeSantis.
"I think Ron DeSantis has been a good governor of Florida," he told CNN. "And I look forward to having him come back as governor."
