Gov. Ron DeSantis, who defeated Florida Gov. less than 1% and whose name was almost unknown in the United States just a few years ago, is now running for president and giving voters a faster, more intense version. of Donald Trump’s angry style of politics.
That’s the conclusion in a profile of more than 10,000 DeSantis words by Dexter Filkins in this week’s New Yorker magazine.
The big picture: Filkins places DeSantis as a new conservative folk hero, without being afraid to fight the left and present himself as the only one brave enough to do so.
And the Dunedin kid has become so popular in the GOP that, in some polls, he is ahead of Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential race.
Enlarge: Filkins reveals that DeSantis has what some describe as photographic memory and could have in-depth medical research discussions with epidemiologists.
Those who work closely with DeSantis say he is unique among elected officials in his indifference to public opinion and the press.
The rub: Trump gets credit for DeSantis victory in 2018. Trump also repeatedly told Filkins that he and DeSantis had a “very good relationship,” adding: “I’m proud of Ron.”
Others say the tension between the two has escalated into outrage. “He will not kiss the ring,” a political leader who sees DeSantis told Filkins.
What they say: “It’s hard to say how much of Ron DeSantis is ideological and how much opportunism is,” Filkins told David Remnick on the New Yorker Radio Hour.
“It sounds like Trump, except that he speaks with full sentences. And he’s very, very straightforward, and very, very fast, but he’s running for the same constituency. So he’s very angry with the elite, even though he went to Harvard. very angry with Washington… And so it somehow brings together the white, working class of Florida – whose numbers are still quite large – and is angry. “
Read the full profile. 🌱 Support local journalism by becoming a member. learn more More Tampa Bay stories No stories found Get a free daily review of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Tampa Bay. 🌱 Support local journalism by becoming a member. learn more
