DeSantis nears presidential bid announcement

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ political operation is about to make a move to a new downtown location that will serve as a more official campaign home. The move is expected to trigger disclosure requirements with federal officials since the office move will require DeSantis to file paperwork with federal election officials within 15 days. This will acknowledge publicly for the first time that he is running for president.

The article notes that the move and forthcoming filing represent the most concrete steps of what has long been a behind-the-scenes effort to slowly build up a DeSantis political operation that, in his first years in office, has been notoriously small. His political operation is currently housed in downtown Tallahassee, but staffers are set to make a short move to a new downtown location.

DeSantis-aligned super PAC called Never Back Down has raised tens of millions of dollars and served as the attack dog against former President Trump, whose regular swipes against DeSantis have so far largely been ignored by the governor. The organization is also airing pro-DeSantis TV ads and building out staff in key states across the country to have presidential-level infrastructure in place for a formal launch.

DeSantis and his wife, Casey, have also started to hold dinners with small groups of donors in the Florida governor’s mansion to try and build out an already substantial fundraising base. According to a source familiar with the operation, DeSantis has hosted eight dinners over the last two weeks. Each one has had between 15 and 20 of the “biggest and the best” donors from around the country.

According to a source who attended one of the dinners, prior to the meal, the guests were given the opportunity to attend a briefing with senior staff, who answered questions and addressed any concerns from the donors. The source described the level of transparency as unprecedented in their experience.

The dinners were attended by several prominent figures, including Scott Wagner, a Miami attorney and longtime DeSantis supporter who served as a co-chair of the governor’s 2022 transition team, and Roy Bailey, a Texas businessman and major Republican fundraiser who served as the national finance co-chair of Trump’s campaigns.

DeSantis stated that he would only respond to Trump’s attacks on “policy” and not always hit back. DeSantis also discussed his plans to go after the bureaucracy in Washington by canceling plans for a new FBI headquarters and moving more federal agencies out of the city. He believes that he can make a profound conservative impact with two terms in the White House, unlike Trump.

DeSantis set a fundraising record during his 2022 re-election, and he already has more outside money supporting him than any other presidential primary candidate in history. However, some major donors have expressed concerns about DeSantis’ candidacy, given Trump’s popularity and influence over the Republican base.

During a recent CNN town hall event, Trump’s performance showed his continued influence over the Republican Party, and he even brushed back at DeSantis. However, the pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, criticized Trump’s lies and attacks. A former Trump supporter who now backs DeSantis believes that DeSantis has a chance to win the Republican nomination if he can appeal to more than just Trump’s base.