Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Gov. Ron DeSantis won’t be waiting until after Memorial Day after all.
The second-term Republican Governor is widely expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign tomorrow during a Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk, the billionaire business owner who owns the social media platform.
The Governor’s wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, seemingly confirmed the announcement in a tweet.
Big if true… 🙂https://t.co/Jrm528DPpA
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) May 23, 2023
The event is set for 6 p.m. Eastern on Twitter. DeSantis is set to appear on “Fox News Tonight” two hours later when host Trey Gowdy will interview him.
DeSantis has long been expected to enter the Republican presidential primary, and many top GOP donors have opined that the Governor has waited too long to make it official, missing his so-called “moment” when his popularity peaked in the first few months after his landslide re-election win.
Chatter intensified a few days ago when many news outlets reported that DeSantis would file his campaign paperwork sometime this week and hold a “soft launch” on May 25.
While DeSantis’ appeal to GOP primary voters has waned over the past few months, he is still the clear No. 2 behind former President Donald Trump.
RealClearPolitics’ polling average shows DeSantis with about 19% support compared to 56% for Trump. The Governor’s zenith was 31.2% in mid-February. No other candidate, declared or otherwise, is polling above the mid-single digits.
As of Tuesday afternoon, DeSantis’ team had not filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission, nor had they revealed plans about a more traditional campaign launch event.
Evening Reads
—“The Republican Primary’s Donald Trump paradox” via David A. Graham of The Atlantic
—“Ron DeSantis, Elon Musk mutual admiration society preceded 2024 launch” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—”DeSantis continues shifting Florida Supreme Court rightward with new appointment” via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune
—“Did DeSantis appoint a Jan. 6 Capitol rioter to regulate your massage?” via C.A. Bridges of the USA Today Network-Florida
—”Hamburger Mary’s vs. DeSantis: Drag bar files lawsuit against Governor” via Samantha Neely of the Fort Myers News-Press
—”Do Americans really want ‘unbiased’ news?” via Peter Kafka of Vox
—“Americans are more content with themselves than with America” via Philip Bump of The Washington Post
—“What’s going on? Groups question Florida’s Medicaid re-determination process” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
—”Charlie Kirk’s ‘Turning Point’ pivots to Christian nationalism” via Tim Dickinson of Rolling Stone
—”How the WGA decided to harness — but not ban — artificial intelligence” via Gene Maddaus of Variety
Quote of the Day
“Big if true …”
— First Lady Casey DeSantis, on reports the Governor will announce his campaign Wednesday.
Breakthrough Insights
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
