Ron DeSantis: Donald Trump without chaos?

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WASHINGTON: Expanding gun rights, ignoring diversity programs and banning books, Ron DeSantis has become beloved by US conservatives for his embrace of an “anti-woke” agenda that fueled his rise in the Republican Party. announced Wednesday that he was running for president, ending months of feverish speculation — spending four years shaping his state into the front line of the battle for America’s soul. -time Donald Trump cheerleader, the 44-year-old offers Republicans a version of Trumpism without the fuss often associated with the twice-impeached former president. In recent months, DeSantis’ unofficial campaign has been marred by the Trump juggernaut, but he has won some important converts. of that movement,” top former Trump aide Steve Cortes told CNN.”conservative candidate out there who can both win the general election, as well as govern effectively.” DeSantis appears almost daily in the national media to lock horns in the culture wars against “woke” politicians, businesses and professors who he accuses of forcing their progressive ideology on the American people. His most headline-grabbing initiatives include allowing Floridians to carry concealed handguns without a permit, imposing one of the nation’s strictest abortion laws and banning classroom discussion of sexuality and identity. gender He also banned universities from spending public money on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and liberals lamented the education policies that led to dozens of books being removed from school libraries. But the outrage was met with applause in America’s most conservative circles, and media coverage that brought him national exposure. Little is left of the political acumen that made a stunning victory in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election, after his gushing praise of Trump was rewarded with the Republican kingmaker’s endorsement. DeSantis’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic, pushing for a rapid repening of the economy, and his opposition to President Joe Biden’s administration shutdowns made him an immediate hit. He won a landslide re-election as governor in 2020, and has since sought a national platform, setting out his political vision in speeches in several early polls saying he must win the nomination. In his memoir — “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival” — DeSantis writes about the struggle of “we the people” against “the entrenched elites who have driven our country into the ground.” Born in Jacksonville, Florida , on September 14, 1978 to a middle-class family of Italian descent, DeSantis went to Yale University, where he was a standout baseball player, before attending Harvard Law School. He practiced law in the US Navy and entered politics in 2012, winning a seat in the House of Representatives before his narrow gubernatorial run in 2018. Underscoring his alignment with Trump, the candidate issued a harrowing campaign ad in which he is seen with his daughter, building a wall of toy blocks in reference to the then-president’s plans for a border wall with Mexico. But the relationship soured in the governor’s comfortable re-election. Trump, distracted by a potential rival, began attacking the upstart on a daily basis, calling him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” Doubts about Trump’s electability continue to rise following his indictment on felony financial charges, a finding of liability in a civil sexual assault case and criminal probes into alleged election interference and mishandling of presidential documents. government. But DeSantis failed to capitalize, making missteps that raised red flags about his own readiness for the highest office, as his 76-year-old rival opened up an average polling lead of close to 40 points. A bitter and avoidable dispute with Florida’s largest private employer Disney over its politics has confounded champions of the free market, while a six-week abortion ban has moderates worried he is out of touch with public opinion. DeSantis has also been accused of appearing light on foreign policy, taking hits for downplaying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and delivering “low-wattage” speeches during a recent trip to Britain. Analysts cautioned against simply counting DeSantis out, pointing to his popularity among out-of-town women who see Trump as toxic and to the governor’s status as a winner — something Trump has been unable to claim since his defeating Biden in 2020.”You have basically three people at this point who can be trusted with this whole thing — Biden, Trump and me,” DeSantis said in a May 18 call with donors, according to The New York Times .”Out of those three, two have a chance to be elected president — Biden and I.”

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