DeSantis takes victory lap for delivering on Trump agenda

I think it goes without saying that the primary race between Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump got ugly, and while there are still clearly some bad feelings, DeSantis has not let it get in his way of delivering the agenda.

In fact, this week, DeSantis took a bit of a victory lap for “momentous immigration legislation” that passed in Florida to enforce the Trump immigration agenda.

It passed

During DeSantis’ recent State of the State address, he touted the immigration legislation, stating, "We are convening for the regular legislative session having already enacted groundbreaking legislation to fulfill the historic mission of delivering on President Donald Trump’s mandate to end the illegal immigration crisis once and for all.”

He later added, "Thanks to the recent legislation, it is now a crime to enter Florida illegally, the days of catch and release are over, and all state and local law enforcement have a duty to assist in interior immigration enforcement efforts.”

This has not been easy for DeSantis after losing the election, as the Florida legislature has been pushing back against DeSantis at times with his lame-duck status.

I am positive the boldness of certain lawmakers is due to the big question marks that surround DeSantis’ future after the loss to Trump and JD Vance securing the VP spot, which will install him as the odds-on favorite come the 2028 election.

Mom and Dad are fighting

As noted above, that legislation was not easy for DeSantis, as he called a special session, then received pushback from state Republicans who insisted the special session was not necessary. DeSantis then took a page from Trump’s book, telling them they would pay politically if they did not back his play. If they did not get the work done during the special session, DeSantis vowed to call another one in six months until they got it passed.

When state House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton sent DeSantis a letter to tell him that the governor did not decide what lawmakers passed and when to pass them, it was seen as a huge pushback against DeSantis’ influence in the state.

Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo said the quiet part out loud, observing, “Mommy and daddy are fighting. And they have to consume for more power, more relevance, more attention. We’re all grown-ups, so there are some adults in the room. The Senate president and the speaker really probably need to get together on what they’ll agree to do.”

As more proof that DeSantis was losing his influence, an unnamed Republican stated, “The memo that Danny and Ben put out was procedural, but what the governor is doing is political theater. No one feels the need to cover for him politically. He’s not the best politician. He’s a bull in every china shop.”

DeSantis at Odds with Trump Over Next Governor

I had to admit, as a DeSantis supporter, this was killing me to see his influence go up in smoke, but he made one more power play against Trump. With DeSantis termed out, Donald Trump has already endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL). Trump actually endorsed him before he announced.

When DeSantis was asked about backing Trump’s pick, he declined, again showing that he and Trump are still not the buddies they once were before the election. DeSantis stated, "We’ve achieved victories in Florida. We need to start achieving those victories up there, so I think people look at it and say, you know you got a guy like Byron, he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over these last years. He’s just not been a part of it. He’s been in other states campaigning doing that, and that’s fine, but OK, well then deliver results up there. That’s what I want to see. I want to see them delivering results for the people of Florida. We deliver it here all the time for the people of Florida, and that’s what we need to be doing."

Then DeSantis dropped his choice, stating, "People ask me all the time about our wonderful first lady, who has done a fantastic job as first lady of Florida. I will tell you this, you’re talking about somebody like her. I won by the biggest margin that any Republican has ever won a governor’s race here in Florida. She would do better than me. She’s somebody that has the intestinal fortitude and the dedication to conservative principles that, you know, anything that we’ve accomplished she’d be able to take to the next level.”

This would be a massive showdown and show just how much pull DeSantis still has in Florida. I think Casey would do a great job, and having Ron DeSantis in the house would surely be a huge benefit if she follows him in office. But can she get past Donalds and Trump in the primary race? If she does, I think we still have to consider DeSantis a major player in 2028. But if Casey loses, honestly, we may never hear from DeSantis again, and that would be almost criminal. I think he would make an amazing president, but I think he just peaked at the wrong time and ran into the Trump train when it was supposed to be his turn to shine.