DeSantis, who last week won a landslide re-election to a second term leading Florida, drew applause from the audience as he delivered a keynote address at the Republican Governors Association winter meeting in Orlando, according to multiple sources in the room. According to one source, DeSantis highlighted his “impressive re-election campaign” and how he won Maimi-Dade County by connecting with Hispanic voters. Another source told Fox News that the governor received an “enthusiastic” response as he “recapped the Florida plan and the path to victory for Hispanics, women and independents.” FLORIDA GOVERNOR RESPONDS TO TRUMP’S ATTACKS Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSanti waves to the crowd during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, November 8, 2022. (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images) And a third source added that the speech was very well received by an audience excited about the possibilities of using the DeSantis model and applying it to battleground states across the country. Multiple sources said DeSantis’ re-election margins last week and his efforts on issues such as education and the fight against “woke curriculum” received some of the loudest applause of the night. MEET THE POTENTIAL DEMOCRATIC OFFICERS WHO CAN CHALLENGE TRUMP IN 2024 While DeSantis delivered his keynote just minutes before Trump announced his 2024 campaign, he did not mention the former president in his remarks. A source in the room said Trump “wasn’t even a topic of conversation” in De Sandys’ speech. In this video image, former President Donald Trump announces he is running for president for a third term as he speaks at Mar-a-Lago Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP ) DeSantis, who at 44 is 32 years younger than Trump, won his first gubernatorial election thanks to a major handout from the then-president. But he has become a force of his own as he has built a political brand that stretches from coast to coast. The Florida governor has seen his popularity soar among conservatives across the country over the past two and a half years, thanks to his strong push against coronavirus restrictions and his aggressive actions as a warrior in the culture wars as he targeted the media. and companies. HOW A TRUMP ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD DIRECTLY AFFECT THE 2024 RACE While DeSantis has regularly dismissed talk of a 2024 White House bid for more than a year as he remains focused on re-election as governor, he likely dropped some hints last week during his election night victory speech. Incumbent Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters at an election night party after winning his re-election race in Tampa, Florida, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, as his wife Casey listens. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)) “We rewrote the political map,” DeSantis said. “While our country falters due to failed leadership in Washington, Florida is on the right track.” And he took the stage as a chant of “two more years! two years,” erupted among supporters urging the governor to consider a 2024 national campaign. As DeSantis has seen his poll numbers in the 2024 Republican presidential polls begin to rival Trump’s and his fundraising prowess matches that of the former president, Trump in recent months has taken aim at the Florida governor. And Trump ratcheted up his attacks on DeSandis in the days leading up to and after the midterms, debuting a new nickname for the governor: “Ron DeSanctimonious.” By Tuesday, DeSantis had refused to take the bait, choosing not to engage with Trump’s taunts. “One of the things I’ve learned in this job is when you lead, when you get things done, you take the fire coming in. That’s just the nature of it,” DeSantis said in response to a question about Trump at the Fort Walton Beach High School event. “I get out of bed in the morning and I have corporate media that has a spasm just because I get up in the morning and they’re just constantly attacking.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “I think what you’re learning is just noise, and really what matters is if you’re leading, you’re dealing with problems, you’re getting results for people, and you’re standing up for people,” he continued. “At the end of the day I would just tell people to go look at the scoreboard from last Tuesday night.” If DeSantis decides to launch a 2024 campaign, don’t expect an announcement anytime soon. A source in the governor’s wider political orbit tells Fox News that any announcement would not be made until after Florida’s legislative session ends in May. Paul Steinhauser is a political reporter based in New Hampshire.
