Conspiracy theorists target DeSantis
To some, he is “Ron DeSoros,” a puppet of Democratic megadonor George Soros. To others, he is “Ron DeSatan,” a vaccine-supporting evildoer. And to still others, he is “Ron DePLANTis,” a “plant” of the socalled Deep State.
As the governor of Florida — real name Ron DeSantis — explores a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, he has made overtures to supporters of former president Trump. But he is finding that the conspiracy theories and outlandish attacks that Trump and his allies have aimed at rivals for years are coming for him as well.
The attacks often nod to one of the many unfounded conspiracy theories floating around in far-right circles: election fraud, vaccine dangers, Soros and even QAnon, the online conspiracy movement that believes, among other things, in the existence of a cult that preys on children.
The attacks underscore the power that conspiracy theories continue to hold over Republican politics heading into the 2024 presidential election. To win the party’s nomination, DeSantis would probably need support from a Republican base that has produced many of the attacks against him. And while DeSantis enjoys broad support among Republicans, soaring to reelection victory just six months ago, the latest primary polls show Trump gaining a sizable lead.
“It’s a tug of war over who is going to grab the all-important conspiracy constituency,” said Bond Benton, an associate professor at Montclair State University who has studied QAnon.
The demeaning nicknames for DeSantis have spread widely on conservative social media, growing this year as Trump’s attacks increased. There were more than 12,000 mentions of “DeSoros” on social media and news sites since January, according to Zignal Labs, a media insights company. “DeathSantis,” a term progressives used when the governor began relaxing Florida’s COVID-19 restrictions that has since been adopted by some conservatives, received 1.6 million mentions over two years.
In recent months, DeSantis has responded by adopting some themes popular among the conspiratorial set, opposing vaccines he once endorsed and raising doubts about the 2020 election.
DeSantis’ office did not respond to requests for comment.
The attacks have come from some of the loudest voices in Trump’s corner. Mike Lindell, the MyPillow executive, quickly found a role for DeSantis in his elaborate election fraud narrative. Lindell said, falsely, that Florida was spared from widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election because DeSantis had a close relationship with Dominion Voting Systems, an election software company targeted by election deniers.
“Ron DeSantis is a Trojan horse,” Lindell said in a recent interview with The New York Times.
Lindell pointed to an appearance DeSantis had with a Dominion lawyer shortly after the election as a sign that the governor had conflicting loyalties.
The lawyer, Elizabeth Locke, was speaking with DeSantis on a panel about the dangers of defamation by mainstream media. She has also represented Sarah Palin.
There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election and no evidence that DeSantis had any special relationship with Dominion.
Kari Lake, a Republican who lost her campaign for governor of Arizona last year, once praised DeSantis on the campaign trail. But in February, as Trump’s attacks grew, she shared a story claiming DeSantis was endorsed by Soros, calling it “the kiss of death.” (Soros had only said that DeSantis was likely to become the nominee.)
“The broader narrative is that he is connected to the shadowy forces that seek to bring down Trump,” said Bond, the Montclair professor.