@Snarkhund's fantasy has him trading at Citadel so cut him some slack. He's apparently the only member of the GOP that isn't aware that DeSantis is Italian. He has exactly zero Hispanic ancestry.
Trump reportedly 'hates' Ron DeSantis -- who's 'primed to push him off the throne' https://www.rawstory.com/ron-desantis-donald-trump-2653719028/ Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is walking a tightrope toward a 2024 presidential campaign, as he seeks to become Donald Trump's heir, but Republican insiders say a showdown with the former president is inevitable. The Florida governor has thrilled the GOP base with his Trump-style governance through the COVID-19 pandemic, and he seems to be positioning himself for a White House run should the ex-president remain on the sidelines, but the public truce will eventually shatter, reported Vanity Fair. "Trump f*cking hates DeSantis," said one Trump confidant. "He just resents his popularity." The twice-impeached former president believes DeSantis owes his popularity to him, as he does whenever someone in his orbit gets attention. "Trump tells people, 'I made Ron,'" a prominent Republican said. "Trump says that about a lot of people. But in this case it's actually true." That's why the two are headed for an inevitable clash, that Republican said. "There's going to be a blowup," that person said. DeSantis has told donors that he won't openly campaign in Iowa or New Hampshire before his re-election campaign next year, a source said, and Trump may try to use the governor's popularity to his own advantage. "Heading into 2024, DeSantis is primed to push Trump off the throne," said former Trump adviser Sam Nunberg. "Trump surely sees this coming and will ultimately offer Gov. DeSantis a joint ticket."
So sad... the Delta variant in Florida is killing Ron DeSantis' 2024 chances. If only there was something he could have done to stop the widespread COVID death and misery in his state. Ron DeSantis' 2024 road just hit a major Covid-19 bump https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/26/politics/desantis-florida-vaccines-covid-2024/index.html For the past year or so, Ron DeSantis has been on a roll. The Florida Republican governor's laissez-faire approach to Covid-19 -- and the relatively low number of cases and deaths in such a large and elderly state -- turned him into a celebrity in the same circles where Donald Trump is a secular saint. Except that, suddenly, Florida's numbers don't look so good with the Delta variant of the coronavirus punishing the state. As the Wall Street Journal wrote over the weekend: "The state accounts for one in five new infections in the U.S. and logged 73,181 cases over the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida had 341 cases per 100,000 people over the past week, second only to Louisiana. The weekly total of new cases reported by Florida jumped more than fourfold between July 1 and July 22, reaching its highest point since mid-January." That surge has put pressure on DeSantis to take formal steps to limit the spread. He has, to date, resisted those efforts -- including any reconsideration of his order that kids returning to school in the state don't need to wear masks. "We need our kids to be able to be kids," DeSantis said late last week. "We need them to be able to breathe. It's terribly uncomfortable for them to do it." DeSantis has gone much more public with calls for unvaccinated Floridians to get the shot(s). "If you are vaccinated, fully vaccinated, the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID is effectively zero," he said at a news conference. "These vaccines are saving lives." That public service message, however, ran directly into DeSantis' position as the heir to the Trump coalition in 2024. His campaign website was selling beverage-cooling sleeves that read "DON'T FAUCI MY FLORIDA," a reference to the science-based guidance in regard to the pandemic offered up by Dr. Anthony Fauci. Depending on what you think of DeSantis, he has either been good or lucky to date in the pandemic. But the rising number of cases in Florida -- coupled with the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant -- poses a challenge that he hasn't had to deal with yet. DeSantis seems likely to be faced with a clear challenge sometime soon: Do what's right for the state of Florida or continue to play to his 2024 ambitions by refusing to acknowledge that mitigation practices -- masks, social distancing, etc. -- are necessary and attacking the likes of Fauci. The Point: Given the case numbers in Florida, things are likely to get worse before they get better. Which means that this is a major moment for DeSantis.