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The Conversation with Dasha Burns

How Ron DeSantis went from GOP prom queen to MAGA wallflower

The Conversation with Dasha Burns

POLITICO

News, Government, Politics

4.01.6K Ratings

🗓️ 26 May 2023

⏱️ 51 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This week, the rumors became reality as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott announced their long-awaited presidential campaigns. The contrast between the two events foreshadowed all of the big questions for next year’s Republican primaries. Tim Scott, who is a favorite among his senate colleagues —  but who is mostly unknown outside of his home state and the Washington, D.C., fundraising circuit — preached optimism and unity while sharing the stage with his mother. Ron DeSantis, on the other hand, did something a little different. He announced his campaign on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk. But for many, the event’s glitchy start was more memorable than DeSantis’s stern message to fellow Republicans. It was the perfect setup for the choice Republicans will have to make in Iowa, New Hampshire, and beyond: Do they want a president who follows in Ronald Reagan’s footsteps – one who is optimistic and driven by ideas – who shakes hands and kisses babies? Or do they want someone like Trump: a leader who uses the Internet to press the attack on the cultural issues that have divided the country.    Now, Scott and DeSantis join a crowded GOP field that includes former governors Nikki Haley and Asa Hutchinson; entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy; and of course, the dominant frontrunner, Donald Trump. This week on Playbook Deep Dive, Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talks about Scott, DeSantis, and all things 2024 with Jonathan Martin, POLITICO’s Politics Bureau Chief; and co-author of the best-seller, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America’s Future.  Ryan Lizza is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO.Jonathan Martin is politics bureau chief for POLITICO.Afra Abdullah is an associate producer for POLITICO audio.Kara Tabor is a producer for POLITICO audio. Alex Keeney is a senior producer for POLITICO audio.Jenny Ament is the executive producer for POLITICO audio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This week, it finally happened.

0:02.6

The rumors became reality as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Senator Tim

0:07.2

Scott announced their long-awaited presidential campaigns.

0:12.9

The contrast between the two events foreshadowed all of the big questions for next year's

0:17.3

Republican primaries.

0:18.9

Tim Scott, who is a favorite among his Senate colleagues, but who is mostly unknown outside

0:24.0

of his home state and the Washington DC fundraising circuit, preached optimism and unity

0:29.8

while sharing the stage with his mother.

0:32.1

This is the freest, fairest land where you can go as high as your character and your grit

0:40.9

and your talent will take you.

0:43.6

Ron DeSantis, on the other hand, did something a little different.

0:46.9

He announced his campaign on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk.

0:51.2

That was quiet.

0:58.2

Sorry about that.

1:01.5

We've got so many people here that I think we are kind of melting the servers.

1:07.5

Biden's allowed woke ideology to drive his agenda.

1:10.8

We will never surrender to the woke mob and we will leave woke ideology in the dustbin

1:16.6

of history.

1:20.2

It was the perfect setup for the choice Republicans will have to make in Iowa, New Hampshire, and

1:25.1

beyond.

1:26.1

Do they want a president who follows in Ronald Reagan's footsteps, one who is optimistic

1:30.9

and driven by ideas, who shakes hands and kisses babies?

...

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