DeSantis shows a populist can be presidential
WASHINGTON >> If you want to understand why Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) represents such a threat to Democrats in the next presidential election, watch his hurricane news briefings — and compare them with Donald Trump’s briefings during the pandemic.
Like Trump, DeSantis is a political counterpuncher who relishes taking the fight to the left. He punched back at sanctuarycity advocates by flying planes of illegal migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. He punched back against the progressive education establishment by signing a law banning critical race theory in Florida schools. He punched back against Disney after it demagogued his bill to protect the parental rights of Floridians by removing its special tax status. He punched back against Democrats who smeared GOP election integrity laws as racist by signing a sweeping voting overhaul bill. And he punched back against the perpetuallockdown establishment by fighting vaccine and mask mandates, and making his state a bastion of freedom during the pandemic. All this has endeared him to Republican voters in Florida, where he appears to be cruising to reelection — and made him the leading potential challenger to Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
But as Hurricane Ian approached, DeSantis did something Trump seemed unable or unwilling to do: He flipped a switch and became the very model of a chief executive leading in a time of crisis. At his news briefings, he has been all business — updating Floridians on the growing strength of the storm, evacuation plans for those in vulnerable locations, instructions for finding shelter and the deployment of line crews to restore power in affected areas; he outlined plans to address gasoline shortages and cellphone service blackouts and warned citizens not to drive through flooded roads. He demonstrated bipartisanship, praising President Biden’s emergency declaration and pledging to work hand in hand with his administration.
DeSantis understands that in a crisis, when Americans are scared and confused, they want information and they want action — not political theater.
Contrast this with Trump’s daily COVID-19 news briefings, which he reportedly compared proudly to a Mike Tyson boxing match. But frightened Americans didn’t want to watch a prize fight — they wanted reassurance. Instead, they got insults, jarring shouting matches with reporters, attacks on “unappreciative” governors, and stream-of-consciousness speculation about sunlight and bleach.
The sad part is, his pandemic response was actually quite strong. He shut down travel with China in January, which even Anthony S. Fauci admitted saved lives. He procured nearly 200,000 ventilators and deployed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to build $660 million worth of emergency field hospitals across the country — most of which never treated a single patient. The bipartisan Cares Act he signed into law averted a second Great Depression. And he launched Operation Warp Speed, which produced a vaccine against the virus in less than a year — one of the greatest public health achievements in history — and paved the way for the end of the pandemic. But all of those accomplishments were overshadowed by the unpresidential behavior that alienated millions of Americans who were looking to him for leadership.
If Trump had carried himself then like DeSantis is performing today, he would probably still be in the Oval Office.
DeSantis understands this. And he is showing that, unlike the 45th president, he can take the fight to Biden one day and work with him to help stormbattered Floridians the next. He can provoke the left like a conservative populist, but also govern like a conservative reformer and lead like a president in times of crisis.