Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may prove an even more fearsome culture warrior than former President Donald Trump — at least that’s what a lot of people are saying.
So what
DeSantis, a Republican, is the leading contender to take Trump’s “MAGA” throne.
The winning
After TKO’ing critical race theory in public schools, DeSantis signed three education bills Wednesday that put student “indoctrination” in a choke hold.
Money quote: DeSantis hinted schools that don’t comply could lose funding, saying, “That’s not worth tax dollars and that’s not something that we’re going to be supporting moving forward.”
The reaction
DeSantis’ legislative wins — following his takedowns of the media and various other conservative foes — have heightened fears on the left and hopes on the right that DeSantis may possess a potent combination of Trumpian instincts and more traditional governing chops.
On the left: “Full Frontal” host Samantha Bee warned on her TBS talk show Wednesday, “Ron DeSantis isn’t exactly a genius, but even a slightly less dumb, more competent version of Trump could be very dangerous!”
Earlier in the evening, MSNBC anchor Joy Reid described DeSantis as “going Trump twinsie on steroids in his quest to become the nation’s top ‘MAGA’ culture warrior.”
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, one of DeSantis’ 2022 Democratic challengers, called his education regulations “what authoritarian regimes do.”
On the right: Jeff Hunt — who hosted a conservative conference last weekend where DeSantis outpolled Trump as the 2024 GOP presidential nominee — told The Washington Times, “That is a common refrain we often hear: DeSantis has the same policies, but he is a bit more refined as a communicator.”
However, Hunt said, “There is going to be a question of whether he can be as engaging or entertaining as Trump because part of the reason you tune in to watch is seeing what he will say. … He was a natural entertainer. Can Ron DeSantis maintain that or reach that?”
The kicker: Both liberals and conservative observers have questioned whether DeSantis’ fighting style is really superior to Trump’s, and others have suggested the former president could take down his mentee at any time.
“Looks like DeSantis beat Trump in a straw poll…,” Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson tweeted Monday. “Peaked too soon, Ron.”
