Free Republic

"TDS, It was lost long ago but it's all coming back to FR now...."

In a YouGov survey of 1,795 adult citizens conducted between Apr. 6 and Apr. 9, Iger is at -9 net, with 15% viewing him favorably and 24% unfavorably. Meanwhile, DeSantis is better known, but at least for some respondents, familiarity breeds contempt. The second-term Republican stands at -13 net; 34% view him favorably, with 47% regarding him unfavorably. DeSantis is in negative territory with most age, gender and racial cohorts, with only respondents 65 years of age and older regarding him favorably, albeit by a slender 48% to 44% spread.

RON DESANTIS IS BACK TO RUNNING Florida’s government. But he hasn’t really stopped running for president. Next month, DeSantis hosts a two-day presidential-donor gathering at the Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida that’s billed as—don’t call it a “fundraiser”—an “Investor Appreciation Retreat.” It’s the latest phase of an image makeover DeSantis started after he officially dropped out of the 2024 race on January 21 and endorsed Donald Trump. For the past month, DeSantis has hosted one-on-one thank-you calls with donors, small meetings with more of these “investors” in Naples and in Miami, and conference calls with former volunteers. In a...

The Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday to reinstate a 160-year-old abortion ban—and Republicans who previously backed it, including Senate candidate Kari Lake, immediately began flip-flopping. The court overturned a 2022 law that allows for abortions until 15 weeks, paving the way for an 1864 ban that prohibits the procedure in almost all cases, except to save the life of the mother.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gathered about 100 top supporters and donors over the weekend at South Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to say “thank you” — and to foreshadow what might be next. DeSantis supporters see those moves, along with the weekend event at the Hard Rock, as clear signs the Florida governor is once again eyeing a White House bid. The main event Saturday evening featured DeSantis speaking with Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., He needs to repair his image nationally,” said one of the attendees. “I don’t know anyone is going to be like...

Conservative groups backing former president Donald Trump in his re-election bid say they are "deeply disappointed" with his official position on abortion unveiled Monday, but it won't deter their support in November. The former president and presumptive GOP nominee in a video posted on Truth Social Monday morning said he cemented his position on the controversial issue, saying that abortion access should be a states’ issue and didn’t endorse a national, federal limitation – like a 15-week ban. Pro-life interest groups who have endorsed Trump expressed disappointment at his announcement, but it appears unlikely to sway their support in consideration...

Ron DeSantis isn’t committing to running for President again in 2028. At least not publicly. The Governor told Fox News Channel viewers that he didn’t “have any plans for the future” when asked about a future run by Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures. The comments are interesting in light of those being his first public remarks since a reported conclave with donors and supporters in South Florida,

By KIMBERLY LEONARD 04/06/2024 09:38 PM EDT HOLLYWOOD, Florida — Ron DeSantis is making nice with his most loyal donors and, at least over the weekend, ignored Donald Trump. During a retreat in South Florida for the governor’s donors that featured golf, cigars and spa time, and little mention of the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, DeSantis thanked and wooed the people who most avidly supported his presidential run. Part of the weekend was also to brainstorm how he could keep Florida front and center in the conservative movement with more than 2 and a half years left as governor. Robert...

PALM BEACH, Fla. (NewsNation) — With dueling events this weekend, some of the nation’s biggest GOP donors will have to choose between former President Donald Trump or former presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump is expected to attend a major joint fundraiser between his campaign and the RNC on Saturday. A campaign source confirmed to NewsNation that it will be hosted at a private residence in Palm Beach. Expectations are high for Trump to offset President Joe Biden’s recent $25 million fundraiser, with the Trump campaign anticipating an estimated $43 million fundraising haul Saturday. That’s an effort that could...

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has had a busy month, signing 38 bills into law in March. Ranging from giant wine bottles to homeless encampment bans to ending squatting in Florida, all the signed laws represent a multitude of issues residents have been bringing to light.

Miami Beach, FL (NewsNation) — The relationship between former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis remains fractured following a contentious 2024 presidential battle. At a press conference Wednesday morning, DeSantis sounded unlikely to campaign for Trump. When asked by NewsNation’s Libbey Dean if he would join the presumptive GOP nominee on the trail, DeSantis was hesitant to commit. The governor’s reasoning: Florida isn’t “competitive” enough for him to stump for Trump. “This is not going to be a state that’s competitive in November,” DeSantis said at a news conference. “So, I don’t anticipate there being much campaign here...

The chief group backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid made a $2.75 million cash infusion to a pop-up super PAC right around the time that group spent millions attacking former President Donald Trump The payments from the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down to Win It Back PAC — a group linked to Club for Growth — were revealed in the latter group’s filings with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday. Win It Back PAC spent more than $6.4 million on digital and TV ads over the summer opposing Trump’s candidacy. It also funded a field program and text messaging.

We’d like to have the DeSantis of yesteryear; the one fresh from his first Governor’s race who defied partisan worries by championing the environment and other bygone middle-of-the-road-type policymaking. But what it seems we’re getting is the vengeful, angry DeSantis who will be the public official equivalent of a drunk dad returning from a all-night bender itching to kick the family pooch. Sources have told me that DeSantis has implemented a new edict that departures from his administration are on hold until at least Summer, if not next year. Anyone who leaves would be blacklisted, according to sources. After DeSantis...

In his first interview since dropping out of the presidential race, DeSantis told Blaze TV’s Steve Deace that the blame is on Iowa caucusgoers who rallied behind front-runner Donald Trump even though many didn’t like him. “They did not want to see Trump nominated again, but they had basically been told that it was inevitable, that it was over,” DeSantis told Deace on Tuesday. DeSantis, who lost to Trump in the Iowa caucuses earlier this month, added that those voters were “checked out” and had “just totally dropped out of the process.” The Florida governor told Deace he’d consider running...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t save the Republican Party after all, or America for that matter. Two days before the New Hampshire primary election, DeSantis suspended his campaign for president on Sunday. As he exited, he endorsed former President Donald J. Trump. Of course, he had no choice. The Florida governor tried to sell voters the idea that he’s just like Trump, but more electable, more reasonable — but also more conservative. That didn’t work because, in the end, DeSantis’ brand wouldn’t exist without MAGA. Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article284389660.html#storylink=cpy

President Donald Trump has announced that he is officially retiring the moniker ‘Ron DeSanctimonious’ that he had previously used for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Former President Donald Trump first used the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” for Ron DeSantis on November 5, 2022, three days before the midterm. This occurred during a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where Trump was stumping for Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and Senate candidate Mehmet Oz. He mentioned this nickname while discussing his standing in the polls for the potential 2024 Republican primary nomination.

Florida Governor and GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has withdrawn from planned appearances on two major Sunday political talk shows, CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet The Press.” CNN’s spokesperson expressed disappointment but left the door open for future dialogues, stating on social media, “Unfortunately, tomorrow’s scheduled interview on CNN SOTU w/ Ron DeSantis was cancelled by the campaign. We look forward to having the Governor join us on the show in the near future.”

Top Republican pollster Frank Luntz and Ron DeSantis warned that the low GOP turnout in the Iowa caucuses is a red flag for the party and that if Donald Trump doesn't get 'new voters' then he will lose in the November election. 'Trump is going to have to show that he can get people who didn't vote for him in 2020, he's got to get new voters or he loses,' Luntz told DailyMail.com 'It's a warning sign for the party in November because the turnout was so abysmally low,' the Florida governor said on Friday. 'There's terrible enthusiasm right now.'...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Hugh Hewitt on Thursday morning that he has the campaign resources to stay in the race through at least the end of March, meaning he will not drop out of the race before Super Tuesday. RD: Look, my goal is to, is to win the nomination. If we’d won Iowa, we would have been in a great spot. You know, coming in second gives us the ticket to continue, but I told me people this from the very beginning. I don’t want to be V.P. I don’t want to be in the cabinet. I don’t...

Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has baselessly accused former President Donald Trump of hiding in a “basement” instead of being on the presidential campaign trail. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was in Florida earlier today to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law Amalija Knavs, having delivered two speeches in New Hampshire this week already and appearing twice in court in Manhattan. Trump speaks again tonight in Concord, NH. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Redfern wrote: “Current location of presidential candidates not named Ron DeSantis – Nikki Haley: Basement Donald Trump: Basement Joe Biden:...