Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is testing the limits of his combative leadership style while sending an unmistakable message to his rivals that virtually nothing is off limits as he plots his political future.
Over the course of his decadelong political career, the 43-year-old Republican has demonstrated an acute willingness to fight. He turned against former aides and rejected the GOP Legislature's rewrite of congressional maps, prompting voting rights groups to file a lawsuit. He has leaned into tensions with Donald Trump, which is notable for someone seeking to lead a party where loyalty to the former president is a requirement.
Disney World, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations and one of Florida's biggest private employers, took his fighter mentality to a new level when he decided to punish it. Legislation was signed on Friday to remove the theme park from the state.
To critics, such a raw exercise of power suggests that DeSantis has a sense of invincibility that could come back to haunt him. Others see an ambitious politician with strong support in his state and a mountain of campaign cash grabbing an opportunity to further stoke the nation's culture wars, turning himself into a hero among Republican voters in the process.
When you listen to Ron, it's righteous indignation: "Here is why you are wrong and here is why I am right." People are going to keep flocking to him as long as he keeps showing that he is willing to fight.
In November, DeSantis is up for reelection. He will introduce himself to a group of presidential primary voters this week when he campaigns for Nevada Senate candidate Adam Laxalt. The appearance marks his first of the year in a state featured prominently on the presidential calendar, although his aides insist it is just a trip to help out a long-time friend.
Disney was criticized for opposing a new state law that bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
The Disney legislation, which will not take effect until June 2023, could cause a huge economic hit for the company, the surrounding communities and the millions who visit the amusement park every year.
There are risks to embracing the legislation, particularly if his antagonism towards Disney threatens the GOP's standing with independents and women, who could play crucial roles in the fall campaign. The legislation was called "vengeful" by a former Trump administration attorney.
Democrats who are facing a tough election year are eager to highlight the moves of DeSantis as a way to portray the GOP as a party of extremists. In an interview, Democratic National Committee Chairman Jamie Harrison described the attack on Disney as a continuation of a divisive agenda geared toward booking interviews on conservative media.
The people of Florida deserve a governor who is focused on them, not on his political ambitions, Harrison said.
President Joe Biden said at a party fundraiser in Seattle that this is not your father's Republican Party.
Biden told donors on Thursday that he respects conservatives.
Taryn Fenske called the governor a "principled and driven leader who accomplishes exactly what he says he will do."
Indeed, his crusade against Disney is a major political victory for the GOP, as he has gained the trust of his base voters who have been enamored by his fight against public health measures. They think it taps into a growing Republican embrace of anti-corporate populism and parental control of education that is popular with a wider swath of voters.
The only Republican with more support than DeSantis among GOP voters is Trump. At the same time, he has more than $100 million in campaign funds.
David Urban, a close Trump ally, said that he was a very smart guy.
Those close to the Florida governor say there is one message above all to take away from the Disney fight: that Ron DeSantis, one of the few high-profile Republicans who has not ruled out running against Trump in a 2024 presidential primary, is not afraid of anyone, anything or any fight.
Tensions between the two men have been building.
In a Washington Post interview last month, Trump took credit for the rise of DeSantis. Roger Stone, a long time Trump loyalist, released a video clip last weekend in which he called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis an expletive.
So far, Florida voters seem to be on the other side.
The University of North Florida conducted a poll in February that found that nearly 6 in 10 Florida voters approved of the job performance of DeSantis. The poll asked Republicans if they would vote for Trump or DeSantis in a presidential primary. The result? The two men were statistically tied.
A combination of popularity and instincts is shaping the modern-day GOP, according to a Florida lobbyist and a major Republican fundraiser.
No other elected official in the country has the Republican base's support. He is a powerful politician and a powerful government leader.
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