Every single RINO I’ve ever seen pretends to be conservative to win republican primary elections then goes lib in the general. Conservative principles are correct principles when they are spelled out to the public, people like them. Conservative candidates don’t allow the media to dictate what those principles are. (For example, see how DeSantis got re-elected governor in Florida.)
Your idea that republican candidates have some unwritten rule that forces them to run to the left is nonsense. They run to the left because they are under the control of the left. Both republican and democrat are owned, bought and paid for by the deep state.
I learned years ago that if politicians can’t run on/defend conservative principles, it’s because they are not conservatives. If RINO Ron is already discussing his dash to the left, there is no doubt in my mind what he is. (Not that there ever was any doubt that DeSantis is a RINO. Florida is a state of enormous stealth RINOs.)
DeSantis will always be to the right of Trump, no matter what happens at this point. Trump throwing parties celebrating the new gay marriage law, insisting Federal programs can't be cut, and writing executive orders for free rent, free college loans, dangerous untested mRNA injections, and gun control measures are the types of things that can never be forgiven, or forgot.