How Trump looms over DeSantis everywhere, all the time

Kimberly Leonard's must-read briefing on what's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State

Jan 04, 2024 View in browser   By Kimberly Leonard and Gary Fineout Former President Donald Trump greets supporters as he arrives at a commit to caucus rally, Dec. 19, 2023, in Waterloo, Iowa. | Charlie Neibergall/AP Good morning and welcome to Thursday.  WAUKEE, Iowa — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is in the middle of a frenzied sprint across the battleground state of Iowa, with just days left before the contest that could make-or-break his presidential campaign. And he keeps having to answer discomforting questions about how he’s talking about the other Florida GOP candidate in the race: former President Donald Trump. It happened during a televised town hall that aired on multiple affiliate stations Tuesday night when an audience member pushed DeSantis over whether he has been forceful enough in his criticisms of Trump. “I take issue” with the question, DeSantis said. Then, during a Wednesday morning stop at a community center in the town of Waukee, a potential voter brought it up again. This time, 75-year-old Christopher Garcia bluntly said to the governor, “Can I be honest with you?” Garcia — noting that DeSantis was down in the polls — said that the Florida governor had not been going directly after Trump. When DeSantis asked what he meant, Garcia replied that “in my viewpoint you are going pretty soft on him.” DeSantis responded by pushing back, complaining that the media wants Republicans to “smear him personally …. That’s just not how I roll.” Garcia went on and talked about how Trump “had no class” and had angered women and veterans with comments, such as when he faulted the late Arizona Sen. John McCain. He suggested that DeSantis should use that against Trump. DeSantis agreed that Trump had “been his own worst enemy, there’s no question about that.” He also suggested that Trump did not do as well in Florida’s Panhandle, home to several Navy and Air Force bases, because of his remarks. The questions to DeSantis about Trump are, of course, nothing new and have haunted the campaign for more than a year. Even before DeSantis made his presidential ambitions public, Trump was already beginning to take shots at him. The governor and his team initially held their fire, but over the course of the last several months they have responded more forcefully. But as DeSantis has pointed out, his jabs at Trump have been over policy differences during the covid pandemic or arguments that he failed to carry out all the promises from his 2016 campaign, such as completing the construction of the southern border wall. Former New Jersey and Republican presidential candidate Gov. Chris Christie — who has called Trump “unfit” for office — has swiped at DeSantis and other Republicans for the way they have dealt with Trump. Ahead of a Florida campaign appearance last November, Christie told POLITICO that DeSantis and other GOP candidates were “too scared of Trump” and appeared to be acting in a way that would preserve their political future with Trump supporters. Polls have shown that Trump has a significant lead over his most serious rivals, DeSantis and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, but DeSantis on Wednesday contended that many of the polls are “garbage.” Supporters of the governor — as well as some on the ground — remain hopeful that DeSantis can win Iowa outright, or at least come out with a strong second-place showing due to extensive work done in Iowa. If the DeSantis scenario does in fact come true, however, it would seem the questions about Trump will only intensify and come in rapid succession. — Gary Fineout — WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis will join Gary Sadlemyer on KFAB’s Morning News at 9:15 a.m. Then at 9 p.m. he’s participating in a CNN town hall with Kaitlan Collins. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com  — POLITICO’s Gary Fineout is on the ground in Iowa this week. Follow along on X. ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... DATE SET — The Florida Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Feb. 7 about a ballot initiative that seeks to nullify new abortion restrictions that were recently approved by state Republican lawmakers. A consortium of abortion rights groups is campaigning to put the issue of abortion access before voters during the November election. The groups have collected 863,876 state-certified signatures, just short of the 891,876 signatures needed by Feb. 1 but are well on track to reach the threshold by the deadline. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has asked the Supreme Court to block the measure from the ballot, saying it uses misleading language. The measure would block the state's current ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and an even tighter ban after six weeks, which has not yet been enacted. After oral arguments are heard, the high court justices will have until April to either block the measure, side favorably with the measure, or do nothing and allow the measure to make the ballot in November. It would need 60 percent of voter approval to pass if it’s on this year’s ballot. — Arek Sarkissian Florida Surgeon Gen. Joseph Ladapo talks before a bill signing by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Nov. 18, 2021, in Brandon, Fla. | Chris O’Meara/AP VAX FIGHT — Controversial Florida surgeon general Joseph Ladapo on Wednesday once again clashed with federal guidance by publicly recommending people not get Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA covid vaccines. As part of the announcement, Ladapo publicized a letter in which he’d asked the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to halt their use. The federal agencies rebutted his points in a response letter dated last month. The FDA did limit the Johnson & Johnson shot guidance in 2022, to recommending it only if the other two shots weren’t available, given that it was found to carry blood clot risks in rare cases. NEW BILL — “Lawmakers propose steeper punishments for online child predators, push for automatic internet filters,” reports Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner. “The measures would require the makers of smartphones and internet-ready tablets by Jan. 1, 2025, to include on all devices sold in Florida an automatically enabled, password-protected filter preventing access to ‘material that is harmful to a minor.’” HIT SNOOZE — “Florida schools prepare for ‘painful’ task of changing start times,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek. “Only 15 of the state’s 67 counties meet the state law” to delay start times to 8:30 a.m. by July 2026. PENINSULA AND BEYOND LOCATION VENTURES CEO LAWSUIT — “SEC accuses developer who had Miami mayor on payroll of fleecing millions from investors,” reports the Miami Herald’s Jay Weaver. “The Securities and Exchange Commission has frozen the bank accounts of a politically connected developer and accused him in a lawsuit of fleecing millions of dollars from dozens of investors in his South Florida real estate projects, as well as failing to pay more than $1 million in federal payroll taxes.” SEAWEED OVERLOAD — “Turning seaweed into plant food is one of six proposals that Miami-Dade is considering as part of a county effort to find new ways to deal with a seaweed surge that scientists expect climate change will only make worse,” reports the Miami Herald’s Ashley Miznazi. “Other potential pilot projects could explore converting sargassum into building material, types of ‘green’ fuel and even an additive that could help reduce erosion of the beaches where the sargassum winds up.” CAMPAIGN MODE BY THE NUMBERS — GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley has surpassed DeSantis in FiveThirtyEight’s national polling average for the first time in the 2024 campaign, reports The Hill. UP NEXT WEEK — Haley and DeSantis have each agreed to do town halls on women’s issues with Fox News, in conversations moderated by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. DeSantis’ will take place Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. EST. ON THE ROAD — “Iowa Caucus 2024: For DeSantis, it's a make-or-break moment,” reports James Oliphant and Gram Slattery of Reuters. “Those close to DeSantis or his nomination effort privately acknowledge that he needs to finish in at least second in Iowa to keep his candidacy viable. One person who speaks with the governor frequently said even a close finish that results in both DeSantis and Haley coming away with the same number of delegates would be a defeat. The 40 delegates up for grabs in Iowa are awarded on a proportional basis.” DESANTIS IS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN IOWA WHERE HE’S ASKED ABOUT KEY ISSUES …  ON CONGRESS — “DeSantis in Iowa criticizes House Republicans for not making impact or keeping promises,” reports The Associated Press’ Hannah Fingerhut. DeSantis was "lamenting to a crowd in southwestern Iowa that he has ‘not noticed much of a difference’ since they edged into the majority after the 2022 midterm elections … the latest comment on House Republicans comes as additional House GOP leaders have announced endorsements for Trump, including Rep. Tom Emmer and Rep. Steve Scalise this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed Trump in November.” ON MINIMUM WAGE — “DeSantis points to Florida as minimum wage model, though he opposed ‘Fight for $15’ amendment,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski. DeSantis previously said the proposal would “‘cause big, big upheavals for the restaurant industry’ and said that if people regretted the move, they ‘literally would have to go back and do another constitutional amendment.’” ON ENERGY — “DeSantis says eminent domain needed in energy pipeline projects during Iowa town hall,” reports Robin Opsahl of the Iowa Capital Dispatch. “Though the question did not mention carbon dioxide pipelines directly, the role of eminent domain in Iowa projects has been a highly divisive topic across the political spectrum. Two pipeline projects are still pending while a third project failed following difficulties with government procedures.” ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN VANISHED — The Republican Party of Florida’s mugs displaying Christian Ziegler’s quote, “Stand with parents, not perverts,” are no longer being sold in the group’s online shop, reports Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles. BIRTHDAYS: Peter Schorsch, president of Extensive Enterprises and publisher of Florida Politics … POLITICO Florida editor David Kihara ... former Florida Secretary of State Sandra Mortham   Follow us on Twitter Kimberly Leonard @leonardkl   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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