Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has denied plans to run for president in 2028 after a report claimed he was preparing to seek the Republican nomination. The Washington Post reported on Friday night, citing three people briefed on his plans, that DeSantis was getting ready for another White House bid.
He rejected the report on X, calling it fabricated and accusing the outlet of trying to get clicks.
What Ron DeSantis said
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has rejected a report that he is getting ready to run for president in 2028. He posted his reaction on X.
Deep Dive
Is Ron DeSantis running for president in 2028?
How did Ron DeSantis respond to the report about a 2028 run?
Why did the report say DeSantis could seek the Republican nomination in 2028?
“The Washington Post is fabricating this out of whole cloth. I have not reached out to anybody about running for anything. Just another pathetic attempt to garner clicks. Using anonymous sources of course!” DeSantis wrote.
The Washington Post reported on Friday night that DeSantis is preparing to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, as per three people briefed on his plans.
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What the report said
{{/usCountry}}Also read: 'Wanted to make a change': Trump explains Susie Wiles' exit, praises new chief of staff Stephen Miller
What the report said
{{/usCountry}}DeSantis is 48 years old. He ran for president in 2024 but could not beat Donald Trump’s popularity, and he dropped out by January 2024. The report said he has been boosted by Republican wins in Florida this week.
The news came after Democrats had a big win in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Democrats took back control of Congress with historic margins in both chambers, and Texas went blue for the first time in 40 years. Florida was one of the few conservative strongholds that held on.
Dan Eberhart, a longtime Republican donor who worked on DeSantis’ 2024 campaign, told The Washington Post that Florida’s results strengthened the governor’s position. “Florida’s walls not being breached by the blue wave gives DeSantis more credibility than nearly anyone in the opening days of the 2028 primary,” he said.
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DeSantis on the midterm results
DeSantis has spoken about the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections. According to Mediaite, he said early Wednesday that the results were “close to an extinction-level event for Republicans” in many parts of the country.
He also said that once the newly elected officials take office, Florida will be the only one of the 10 largest US states under Republican control.
According to The Hill, DeSantis blamed the Iran war and high gas prices for some of the party’s losses. In an interview with SiriusXM host Stephen A Smith, he accused some Republicans of “gaslighting” voters by ignoring their concerns about rising costs.
DeSantis also said Florida’s “red wall” had held firm. Republicans won the Senate and governor’s races in the state, according to The Hill.
However, Florida Republicans also faced setbacks. They lost three House races in districts that had been redrawn to favor them and were trailing in a fourth. The Senate and governor’s races were also closer than expected.