By Jeffrey A. Rendall
Democrats aren’t the only ones setting the wheels in motion for a possible 2028 run
Vice President J.D. Vance; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem; Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin; Presidential son and lead Trump family spokesman Donald Trump Jr.; Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; Former Republican presidential candidate and 2024 runner-up Nikki Haley…
How about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis?
All of the former small group of prominent short list GOP names have been routinely floated as possible Republican party successors for President Donald J. Trump, the speculation having already begun to determine which pol could have the gravitas to follow in the three-time practically undisputed party champion’s considerable footsteps.
For politics watchers, Trump’s been around for so long – and dominated so thoroughly – that it’s practically inconceivable to contemplate a Republican Party without his more-than-familiar face as its figurehead. Trump has remade the brand of the GOP so completely that most people don’t even think of the party as an entity separate from the man any longer, though his Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda won’t sustain forever and more than likely there won’t be another Trump name on the primary ballots a few years from now.
But Christmas is a great time to dream, isn’t it? The list of possible contenders should grow as 2026 travels through the months, with most people-in-the-know thinking that two full years, more or less, would be needed to lay the groundwork for a credible campaign under today’s evolved circumstances. Running for president ain’t what it was before Donald Trump, put it that way.
Floridian Ron DeSantis comes with a question mark by his name because he hasn’t been mentioned among the so-called usual suspects all that often, the first-tier collection of candidates intimately involved with the Trump administration itself or inexorably tied to it by name. However, DeSantis continues to preside over one of the nation’s most remarkable political success stories and is term-limited out after next year. So Ron’s next move is naturally being talked about a lot.
Are preparations being made in the DeSantis’28 camp? In a story titled, “DeSantis’s Florida moves lay groundwork for 2028 presidential return”, Naomi Lim reported at the Washington Examiner recently:
“DeSantis’s maneuvering since his return to Florida, where he is term-limited as governor, indicates the possibility of another presidential bid, despite his protestations…
“‘After a quick and inglorious defeat in the Republican presidential nomination process, DeSantis was viewed by many as a political retread who lacked charisma,’ [University of South Florida government professor emeritus Darryl] Paulson told the Washington Examiner. ‘In a comparison with Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, I said that if DeSantis had to give a fireside chat, the fire would go out.’… (Ed note: Ouch?)
“When asked if DeSantis has any chance of winning the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, Paulson responded that ‘more people are asking if … DeSantis has any future in national politics at all. … DeSantis will be in the fortunate position of having almost two full years to campaign for the presidency without worrying about political encumbrances,’ Paulson said. ‘He will have plenty of time to raise money, which he has shown the ability to do better than many politicians. If he can stop from putting voters to sleep, he may have as good a chance as any politician in the nation to win the presidential nomination in 2028.’”
Similar to 2023-24, Gov. Ron DeSantis would appear, on paper, to be as capable as anyone to come after Donald Trump. DeSantis has always had a knack for sticking his neck out to advance conservative causes, which endeared him to many in the Republican “anyone but Trump” crowd at the beginning of the last presidential nominating cycle.
But Professor Paulson (quoted in Lim’s article) highlighted Governor Ron’s biggest flaw, namely, he lacks the flare of many of the contemporary GOP standard-bearers-to-be lining up for 2028. Simply stated, Trump changed the standard for how Republican voters’ asses their politicians. It’s not enough to just have palatable populist-type policies; the guy or gal needs to make it entertaining and fun to watch for an hour or so in a rally setting.
Hand-shaking grassroots campaigning is so yesterday in this new world. John McCain wouldn’t have a chance.
But DeSantis has some things going for him, nonetheless. Right off the bat, one of the biggest things DeSantis counts in his favor is the fact he got out of the 2024 race very early and endorsed Trump right away. It’s hard to remember now, but there never was any doubt that the former president (then, at least) would ultimately prevail at the ensuing convention. Unlike in 2016, when Texas senator Ted Cruz remained competitive and “in the game” until early May of that year, there was no realistic scenario suggesting Trump could stumble and provide an avenue for a challenger to perhaps make a run at beating him.
Primaries are often fruitless exercises. This was never truer than in 2024, a fact Trump wasn’t shy about highlighting prior to his lone self-delusional “challenger” hanging up her microphone a couple months into it, well after nastiness and vitriol between himself and Nikki Haley crept into the picture. It was so unnecessary, but the pundit class and the barely-kicking vestiges of NeverTrump poured money into keeping Haley on political life support just to agitate the runaway frontrunner.
Nikki persisted with her “the voters deserve a choice” rear-end-covering mantra everyone knew was pointless, and full preparation for the 2024 general election campaign was postponed during those weeks, a delay that could’ve been costly had incumbent Democrat president senile Joe Biden proven to be a stronger, more capable opponent for Trump.
It was the same for Biden’s self-induced and selected replacement, cackling Kamala Harris.
DeSantis sidestepped all the drama by acknowledging the writing on the wall and initiated efforts to limit the damage with Trump himself. DeSantis clearly recognized that a 2024 primary failure wouldn’t prove fatal to future presidential ambitions given his relatively young age (he’s still “only” 47) and prestigious home launching pad for such an effort. Is there a better place in America for a conservative Republican to start from then now-blood red Florida?
Ever the wise politician, not only did DeSantis lend his full effort to helping Trump win last year, but also took the major planks of Trump’s agenda and fully implemented them in his home state, particularly measures to capture, detain and then deport criminal aliens. I’m not sure whose idea it was, but “Alligator Alcatraz” provided all the mental visuals an aspiring politician would need to establish oneself as a trailblazer in the overall MAGA fight.
There isn’t an international open land border to patrol in Florida like there is in Texas, but “Alligator Alcatraz” was just as valuable in driving the tough-on-crime point home. That’s not to mention how DeSantis picked high-profile fights with Disney and teachers unions over the “woke” agenda and is currently attempting to eliminate property taxes in The Sunshine State.
And although DeSantis is term-limited out of office after next year, his wife Casey is reportedly considering a run to extend the family legacy in Florida. The state’s machinery would be in Ron’s corner, for sure, if the rumors of his impending presidential candidacy prove true for 2028.
That being said, candidate Ron would face the same types of limitations that slowed his first presidential run, namely that, as Professor Paulson suggested above, he’s charisma-challenged.
In presidential campaign years, it’s sometimes called the “likability” factor. Politicians acquire – or are saddled with – reputations for personalities they can’t help, or readily change. Early on in the 2024 campaign, DeSantis was plagued by media stories that he wasn’t “friendly” enough on the stump and was almost always compared negatively with Trump himself.
Trump has been in “show biz” for as long as he’s been in the spotlight, typically depicted as a “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”-type celebrity who loves extravagance and excess – but in a good way?
DeSantis was in the Navy and people thought of him as a serious and disciplined and filled with duty and his years in Congress furthered the personal takes. My reaction? Governor Ron is what he is. Not everyone loves the “showman” aspect of politics, and trying to be overly phony in search of political favor would only make things worse.
If Governor Ron DeSantis does decide to run for the Republican nomination in 2028, he should be taken seriously, and the full impact of his time in Florida should similarly be considered by conservatives looking for the best person to succeed President Trump. DeSantis would surely be a change-of-pace candidate, something the nation could very well seek by 2029.
Jeff Rendall is editor and publisher of GolfintheUSA.com and has written about golf and politics for over a quarter of a century. A non-practicing attorney from California, he moved to the east coast three decades ago to pursue and combine his interests in all things American history and culture. Jeff has worked as an intern on Capitol Hill and in various capacities in grassroots organizing and conservative organizations and publications, including a nearly two-decade stint at ConservativeHQ.com. Column republishing or other inquiries: Rendall@msn.com .