US ruling class has failed, says Desantis as he teases 2024 bid
RON DESANTIS took aim at “an arrogant, stale and failed ruling class” as he made teasing reference to a 2024 presidential run in a memoir that hit No 1 as it went on sale yesterday.
The Florida governor said his record in office could serve as a “blueprint for governance” nationwide as he railed against Leftist elites who control US institutions.
Mr Desantis, 44, is widely expected to challenge Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Polls show he is the former president’s strongest competition, coming either first or second in a potential primary line-up.
His book, The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival, and the ensuing nationwide publicity tour has been viewed as a precursor to his presidential bid. The book had already reached the top of Amazon’s Top 100 list after its release yesterday.
The book details Mr Desantis’ antilockdown, anti-vaccine mandate stance while much of the US was imposing Covid-related restrictions.
It also details his battle against Disney and other major corporations that he argues are in the choke hold of “a cadre of woke” employees.
The governor’s relationship with Disney, a major employer in his state, broke down when it opposed legislation to ban discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida’s primary schools.
Mr Desantis defends the legislation, dubbed the “Don’t say gay” bill by critics, and reveals he warned then-disney chief executive Bob Chapek against involving itself in a culture war issue.
“Florida has stood as an antidote to America’s failed ruling class,” he writes, detailing his battles against Left-wing ideology as well as “woefully out of touch” Republican establishment.
He wrote: “The United States has been increasingly captive to an arrogant, stale, and failed ruling class.”
Offering a preview of a presidential bid, Mr Desantis presents himself as a leader who reflects “both the American tradition and basic common sense”.
He vowed to take on powerful elites who “control the federal bureaucracy, lobby shops [in Washington DC], big business, corporate media, Big Tech companies and universities”.
Mr Desantis largely avoids mention of Mr Trump, 76, who by contrast has launched a flurry of attacks on his main rival and fellow Floridian, nicknaming him “Ron Desanctimonious”.
The governor skirts around the issue, noting Mr Trump supported his bid for office in 2018, but credited his victory to his skill on the debate stage.