DeSantis’ fall from GOP presidential field
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 45, spent three terms in Congress starting in 2012 before winning Florida’s gubernatorial election in 2018. Now in his second term as governor, DeSantis is perhaps best known right now for his recently failed presidential campaign.
Becoming the 2024 Republican presidential nominee over former President Donald Trump was DeSantis’ goal. While this seemed plausible at the Fox News Republican debates in November, his prospects slowly crumbled. Earlier this month at the Iowa caucuses — the premiere GOP primary voting event that helps shape how election campaigns move forward — DeSantis lost to Trump by 30 percentage points. The overwhelming win by Trump led to DeSantis’ withdrawal from the presidential race Sunday before the New Hampshire primary took place earlier this week.
DeSantis has taken a lot of attention away from other Republicans, including Trump, sometimes simply due to his nature and personality. Articles from Politico, such as “Why Does Ron DeSantis Smile Like That? A Body Language Expert Weighs In,” and “3 Expert Shoemakers Say Ron DeSantis is Probably Wearing Height Boosters,” helped shape an unflattering image of DeSantis as an awkward and even laughable candidate.
Additionally, a story about boots DeSantis was wearing circulated on social media, according to Politico, racking up millions of views on sites like TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter. It started when DeSantis showed up to a Tampa, Fla., campaign rally wearing strange cowboy boots that appeared to boost his height.
The boots were worn in public seemingly after Trump delivered an ad hominem statement on DeSantis by referring to him as “tiny D.” It was only after Trump’s statement — which was both a sexual innuendo and a height attack — that the boots came out of DeSantis’ closet. While the theory may seem improbable, shoe experts say it’s highly possible he is actually wearing heels.
Zephan Parker, a bootmaker, told Politico that DeSantis “is wearing lifts; there’s no doubt.”
DeSantis has also caught the ire of media giant Disney. Disney, which has a major presence in Florida, home to the Walt Disney World theme park, has publicly opposed many of DeSantis’ policies as governor. In particular, the
“Don’t Say Gay” bill that blocks lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in the classroom. Arguments between Disney and DeSantis have turned legal. In 2023, Disney sued DeSantis in federal court for allegedly violating First Amendment rights by retaliating against the company. The lawsuit is pending.
Finally, one of DeSantis’ many unpopular and extreme policies is his “antiwoke” law. Under the law, Florida public middle schools must teach that enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit,” according to The Associated Press. While many historians have disproved this harmful framing, and much of the Black community has expressed discomfort and anger at this, calling it “policy violence,” DeSantis has stood by this policy.
While DeSantis’ presidential campaign has failed, his impact on Florida as governor is vast and will continue until his term ends in 2026. An incredible amount of hard-right bills have been passed and put in place under his tenure. DeSantis has created his own Floridian utopia with policies that generate strong support from a small group of right-wing supporters. But the same cannot be said about his impact on the U.S. as a whole. DeSantis’ presidential campaign flop will not be forgotten; especially by his enemies.