Ron DeSantis likens himself to Ronald Reagan while explaining how he gets results from the Legislature
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 5/5/23-Gov. Ron DeSantis, listens to a question from the media during a news conference after the 2023 legislative session concluded, Friday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

FLAPOL050523CH015
'It isn't like I'm twisting their arms.'

Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s not “twisting the arms” of the Legislature to keep them in line.

Indeed, while he considers many in the House and the Senate to be “friends,” the Florida Governor said Wednesday on “The Tara Show,” that a movement driven by the people keeps legislators in line — and backing his agenda.

“It’s bottom up. I mean, you know, we inspire the people of Florida,” DeSantis said.

“And so what it is is these guys are talking to their representatives and their senators and the voters are telling them: ‘You better be with the governor on this. The Governor is doing this. Are you supporting him?'”

“And so it really is, it’s been a bottom up movement and we work well with the legislature and I’ve got a lot of friends there, but it isn’t like I’m twisting their arms. I’m going over the head like Ronald Reagan did. We’re delivering a compelling message and we’re getting the support from the people.”

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


13 comments

  • Sonja Fitch

    October 5, 2023 at 4:28 am

    Lol. This Desantis is “everything to everybody.” Depending on audience, Desantis shall lie and compare himself to
    Whatever the majority of the audience believes. Now watch for Desantis to compare himself to God!

  • Beth

    October 5, 2023 at 5:40 am

    Add that to his top ten delusions. Everyone else likens him to a roly poly Hitler.

  • Professor Emeritas Earl Pitts "Earl's Smarter Than You" American

    October 5, 2023 at 7:20 am

    There it is America,
    Most of my Dook 4 Brains Leftist students of Earl Pitts American were not born or too young to remember Ronald Reagan.
    Earl Preaches On It:
    Basically my beloved students the Country was in bad shape from the irresponsable previous administration which was simmilar to Biden’s total cluster phuck ruination of America but not as stupidally, irrespondabaly, dook 4 brains as much of an epic fail as Biden.
    So, America, long story short,; the sameness of today’s cluster Biden phuck to Jimmy Carters much better but still suckey administration are very instructave to you, The Beloved Students of Professor Earl.
    In closing:
    America welcome to the next 8 glorious recovery years under “Today’s Reagan” …. Ron Desantis.
    Thank you Students of me, Professor Emeritas Earl Pitts Amercan.

    • Rick Whitaker

      October 5, 2023 at 7:45 am

      you smoked a fatty and came up with a bull shit story about reagan . raygun was anti labor, anti public education, anti truth and so on. i remember him well. before trump he was the worst president in modern american history. he lied about the trickle down theory. he replaced scholarships and grants for needy students and replaced them with predatory student loans to fake schools. wasted our tax money on unworkable military failures to enrich the rich and much more grift. desantis and raygun are both bad, but you say they are good. maga cult believes you for sure, but they are a cult.you are an 82 year old fool that is addled and inane. no thinking person listens to your bull shit. shame on you. hate is your go to card. you’re stewing in your own hate. death awaits you. go pray to your fake savior.

      • Professor Emeritas Earl Pitts "Earl's Smarter Than You" American

        October 5, 2023 at 11:10 am

        Thanks for requesting a Regan update Rick,
        You are likely thinking of Ronald Regan’s disabled son, David, who started keeping with the wrong group of friends around the 8th grade. The lad unfortunatly got addicted to the gateway drug marajuana and things took a nose dive from that point forward. David R. has gone on record disrespecting his Dad, falling victim to a severe and dibilating case of Dook 4 Brains Leftism, and is reported to be living in sin by embracing the homer testical lifestyle.
        Thank you Rick,
        Let me know if I may be of additional assistance.
        Professor Emeritas Earl Pitts American

        • S. Wabbit

          October 6, 2023 at 12:02 pm

          You ass.

        • Rick Whitaker

          October 6, 2023 at 5:20 pm

          another inane comment froman inane dude.

        • Rick Whitaker

          October 6, 2023 at 5:46 pm

          billy purser aka gary burbank aka earl pitts whose son are you? is it mr. pitts, mr. burbank, or mr. purser. your ma ma surely told you, r i g h t? why do you mention testicles, anus’ and sphincter so much? could it be that you molest little boys and can’t get that out of your mind. i’m going to have too look up your arrest records and get the gory details. you brought it on yourself by talking about it so much. it doesn’t take a trained psychologist to figure that out. billy boy, shame on you.

  • Tom

    October 5, 2023 at 7:29 am

    I remember Reagan and the fairness doctrine. He basically paved the way for the stinking pile of polarization and misinformation that we have today. Must be something with politicians named Ron

    • Rick Whitaker

      October 6, 2023 at 5:32 pm

      yeah i forgot about the fairness doctrine. how unfair can it get. a lot of younger people think that it has always been that you can lie and slander and if it’s delivered as an opinion, it’s o.k. .
      look at fox, newsmax, and qanon. rayguns revenge for sure. thank’s tom for reminding me of that.

  • My Take

    October 5, 2023 at 11:58 am

    Give Rhonda another month and he’ll be the Second Coming.

  • My Take

    October 5, 2023 at 11:58 am

    Give Rhonda another month and he’ll be the Second Coming.

  • MH/Duuuval

    October 5, 2023 at 11:43 pm

    True story: early Ron D wanted to be like Reagan, but he drew Trump instead. One can see where there might still be some cognitive dissonance.

    Another true story: Ronnie R while Gov. closed the gates around the Berkeley plaza where demonstrators had gathered, and then sent choppers overhead with tear gas, followed by police in riot gear. (Which may be where Ron D got the idea for his new law re: demonstrators.)

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Jesse Scheckner, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704