Ron DeSantis, who once exercised near-complete political control over Florida, might be watching the final days of his reign. The Florida governor, whose presidential campaign continues to sink further and further into oblivion, is beginning to see his wishes defied by the very state officials he appointed, as detailed in a Politico report Friday. And some Florida Republicans are even welcoming his downfall on the presidential stage.
“There’s no love lost between the legislature and DeSantis,” one Tallahassee lobbyist told the outlet. “They are faking it. They are waiting long enough to see the king drained of all his power. It’s a slow-motion coup.”
One of the clearest signs of DeSantis’s waning power came last week, when the state Republican Party annulled a loyalty pledge that would have compelled GOP presidential candidates to support the eventual nominee, whomever it may be. This reversal, which directly countered DeSantis’s preference, was done at the request of Trump backers in Florida. (For his part, Donald Trump last month also refused a loyalty pledge put forward by the Republican National Committee.) Meanwhile, according to Politico, Christian Ziegler, chairman of the state party, has promised neutrality in the presidential race and encouraged some party members to appear a
