Free Republic

National political correspondent Maggie Haberman signaled Friday that President-elect Trump likely doubled down on Pete Hegseth as his pick to lead the Pentagon after support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) as an alternative fell short. “What changed was a couple of things. One was… Trump could not find a single person in his orbit, or even really outside of it, who liked this idea of making Ron DeSantis — the governor of Florida — the Defense secretary choice,” she added. DeSantis, Trump’s formal GOP primary rival who was floated as a top contender, said he was “seriously considering” the...

DeSantis is on the field, avoiding being in the booth with Trump, Thune, Johnson, Vance, Musk and Hegseth. Is DeSantis upset that he isn't SecDef pick? Is he too socially awkward to be around politically powerful people? DeSantis needs to learn how to interact with powerful people, even those he doesn't like.

📊 2028 National Republican Primary• Donald Trump Jr. — 30% • JD Vance — 30% • Ron DeSantis — 9% • Nikki Haley — 6% • Vivek Ramaswamy — 5% • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — 5% • Sarah Huckabee Sanders — 1% • Marco Rubio — 1% • Tucker Carlson — 1% • Greg Abbott — 1% • Brian Kemp — 1% • Glenn Youngkin — 1% --- • Someone else — 5%@MorningConsult | 12/6-8 | n=994

Governor Ron DeSantis UNLOADED on a reporter who tried to get him trapped in a "gotcha" question about radical gender ideology. REPORTER: "I wanna talk about the trans care ban ruling...opponents are saying that's gonna...harm patients!" DESANTIS: "It is the MUTILATION OF MINORS that's harming people! It is WRONG to do this!" Video at link

J. D. Vance voted for independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin in November 2016. He said this in 2021 in an interview with Time Magazine. McMullin was on the ballot in 2016 in Kentucky. In Ohio he was a declared write-in candidate and he was credited with 12,574 votes. It is not clear which state Vance lived in at the time. The mention of his 2016 vote is under “Vance’s Political Turn” in the first paragraph.

Contrary to what many political pundits, including this one, thought would happen as soon as Donald Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee, the former president has maintained a slim but steady polling lead over President Joe Biden. As of today, the RCP Average has Trump with a 1.1% overall advantage, with Quinnipiac being the only May poll showing Biden leading, albeit by a mere 1%. By contrast, Biden enjoyed a 5.6% advantage this time in 2020, an election in which Trump never actually took the average polling lead.Still, are there signs that Trump's lead might be softer than we think?...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is planning to raise money for former President Donald Trump in the coming weeks, putting into action the commitment he made at a meeting with Trump last month to help his former rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, according to two people familiar with the matter. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because the details have not been finalized and plans could still shift in the weeks ahead. Still, DeSantis is making calls to donors while his finance team works quickly to put together a schedule that would...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill banning lab-grown meat in his state Wednesday, in what he described as an effort to “save our beef.” “Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals,” DeSantis said in a press release Wednesday. “Our administration will continue to focus on investing in our local farmers and ranchers, and we will save our beef.” The bill, S.B. 1084, makes it “unlawful” for people to “manufacture for sale, sell, hold or offer for...

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.

Florida is taking a strong stand against retail theft and “porch piracy.” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed into law a bill that would crack down on criminals participating in shoplifting rings and engaging in other types of property crime. While doing so, he took some shots at California and New York for going easy on those committing these offenses. Amid widespread retail theft occurring across the nation, state and local governments are grappling with putting a stop to these operations while others are simply responding with a shrug. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, DeSantis announced...

Former First Lady Melania Trump is helping the homosexual ‘conservative’ group Log Cabin Republicans kick off its ‘Road to Victory’ campaign at her and her husband’s Florida resort home on April 20. ... PALM BEACH, Florida (LifeSiteNews) — After an extended absence from public view, former First Lady Melania Trump is reportedly set to return to the campaign trail for her husband starting with a fundraiser for homosexual “conservative” group Log Cabin Republicans at her and husband Donald’s resort home of Mar-a-Lago. The news puts to rest unsubstantiated rumors that Mrs. Trump was distancing herself from the former president’s 2024...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis believes Democrats don't stand a chance in the Sunshine State going forward. This comes as reports indicate registered GOP voters now outpace Democrats by nearly 900,000. "You're talking about a million plus voter registration shift," DeSantis told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo, claiming older numbers indicated Republicans were behind their Democratic adversaries by nearly 300,000 registered voters in 2018. "Part of that, I think, is a response locally where people are more likely to switch from Democrat to Republican in Florida, nonparty to Republican than vice-versa. That's been an important component of it, but I do think...

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...

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.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Squatters beware. Florida's latest law makes it easier to remove those illegally staying on private property. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 621 into law Wednesday, eliminating squatters' rights in the state. "We are putting an end to the squatters scam in Florida," DeSantis said. "While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system." DeSantis said the law provides homeowners with remedies against squatting and increases penalties for squatters.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Wednesday that empowers residents in the state to have law enforcement immediately evict squatters from homes instead of having the situation devolve into a drawn out legal battle, and increases the criminal penalties against squatters. DeSantis signed the bill at a press conference as recent incidents of home squatters have gone viral in Democrat strongholds like California and New York. “So we’re here today because you assume in America if you purchase a home and own a residence that that’s your residence, that if you happen to maybe split time...

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...