Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is ramping up his national profile as he quietly lays the groundwork for a potential 2028 presidential run, traveling across the country to sharpen his message, build alliances and move past his bruising 2024 loss to President Trump.
The term-limited governor, 47, kicked off the week at the Milken Institute’s global conference in Beverly Hills and is set to headline the New York Republican Party’s annual gala May 19 at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan — high-profile appearances that signal growing national ambitions.
“I’m in my mid-40s. [20]28, you know, maybe beyond that, I think that there’s a lot of runway,” DeSantis said Monday when asked about another White House bid.
“Who knows? Like, you never know,” he added during a moderated discussion with The New York Post’s Charles Gasparino — before pivoting into what sounded like a campaign-style pitch.
“Who took a state that had more Democrats than Republicans by 300,000 when he got elected [in 2018], and now has 1.5 million more Republicans?” DeSantis said, pointing to his own record.
“Who had a state that had a trillion-dollar economy and now has $1.8 trillion? Who has a state that had some school choice, now universal? A 50-year low in the crime rate? So we’ve got a good story to tell.”
Behind the scenes, Republican insiders say DeSantis’ intentions are hardly a secret.
“It’s not been a secret he’s running,” one GOP insider told The Post.
“I think DeSantis totally thinks he can win,” added a Florida-based operative. “He’d be top two in Iowa for sure.”
Still, the path forward is complicated. While Trump himself appears to have cooled tensions following their bitter 2024 primary clash — in which DeSantis dropped out after a distant second-place finish in Iowa — some of Trump’s allies are eager for a rematch.
“Team Trump is chomping at the bit to destroy DeSantis one more time,” a longtime Trump operative said.
Once viewed as the GOP’s rising star capable of channeling Trump-era populism into a more disciplined conservative agenda, DeSantis has spent the past year repairing ties with the president. He is even seen as a possible cabinet contender when his gubernatorial term ends.
“His lane is: most competent and effective governor in our nation’s history who consistently delivers on every promise he makes,” said Carly Bird, DeSantis’ former national spokesperson.
Another GOP operative agreed that the governor retains a strong appeal.
“A lot of people like DeSantis,” the operative said. “This is a guy that I believe sees there’s a window to run for president — you don’t know how long it stays open, and once it’s closed, that’s it.”
In recent months, DeSantis has taken steps widely viewed as olive branches to Trump. He signed legislation renaming West Palm Beach’s airport in Trump’s honor and helped facilitate plans for Trump’s presidential library in Miami. The two have also been seen golfing together, projecting a more cordial relationship after the president’s 2024 attacks, which included nicknames like “DeSanctimonious” and “Meatball Ron.”
One of DeSantis’ most significant recent moves came Monday, when he approved a redrawing of Florida’s congressional map expected to net Republicans four additional House seats — a shift that could offset anticipated GOP losses elsewhere and help protect the party’s majority.
Despite the thaw at the top, skepticism lingers among Trump loyalists, and the 2028 field is already taking shape.
Polling and party chatter suggest Vice President JD Vance is currently well-positioned, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio is gaining traction among key GOP circles.
“You hear a lot more about Rubio. Rubio is the guy,” the Florida operative said. “Vance has his pockets, but overwhelmingly Rubio is the guy among most people … even, say, in Palm Beach.”
Others see the race as wide open.
“It’s JD’s race to lose right now,” said a former DeSantis staffer. “That said, there’s a million new cycles between now and a primary — anything can happen with a coalition that’s showing cracks.”
That same former aide emphasized DeSantis’ governing record but questioned whether his political operation has adapted since 2024.
“DeSantis is by far the most effective, results-driven conservative executive in recent memory, but it remains to be seen if his team learned the right lessons from the [2024] campaign,” the aide said.
“The country would be better off in every way should he stay on the national stage. The moves he makes in the coming months should be very revealing.”
DeSantis’ biography remains a core part of his political identity. The son of a TV ratings box installer, he played baseball at Yale and later graduated from Harvard Law School. He served in the Navy, including a deployment to Iraq, before entering politics and winning a House seat in 2012. He narrowly captured the Florida governorship in 2018 and secured a landslide reelection victory in 2022.
Yet questions about his political style persist. Critics — particularly within Trump’s orbit — continue to point to his perceived awkwardness and past clashes with the former president.
“No matter how many influencers he pays off, Ron will never be the heir to the MAGA movement,” one Trump-aligned operative said.
Another former Trump White House official was even more blunt, calling DeSantis “as authentic as a strip mall Santa.”
Trump himself, however, has struck a more measured tone, recently saying he would consider DeSantis for a cabinet role because “I think he’s good — doing a good job.”
For now, most observers expect DeSantis to remain outside the administration and focus instead on positioning himself for another national campaign.
Whether that effort succeeds may depend on how effectively he balances his record as a conservative governor with the shifting dynamics of a Republican Party still heavily influenced by Trump — and increasingly crowded with ambitious contenders eyeing 2028.
