Good Friday morning.
Getting ready— Well, it appears that other Republicans besides former President Donald Trump also now view Gov. Ron DeSantis as the leading contender in the shadow presidential primary for 2024.
Frozen — A sharp exchange between a National Review writer and a spokesman for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (viewed as a potential GOP presidential contender) over an article about transgender issues led to a broadside against DeSantis.
Faulting DeSantis— Ian Fury, Noem’s communications director, in an exchange with Nate Hochman accused the writer of going after Noem because he was “carrying water for DeSantis.” Fury then trashed Florida’s GOP governor over abortion restrictions, contending that while Noem has defended the repeal of Roe v. Wade, DeSantis has been “hiding behind a 15-week ban. Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?”
There’s more — Fury also contended that one of Florida’s anti-abortion groups is “embarrassed” by DeSantis’ record and that he had “terminated” his Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration, Simone Marstiller, who was the “most pro-life member of his Cabinet.” (Let’s set aside the usual explanation that Florida’s Cabinet is comprised of three elected officials who don’t report to the governor … but Marstiller’s departure has been linked to a tough new lobbying ban, not any policy disagreement with DeSantis.)
Repeat— This isn’t the first time that DeSantis has gotten heat from the far north. Noem herself seemed to criticize DeSantis a year ago by noting that he initially did back restrictions during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Not alone— And another GOP governor this week also weighed in on DeSantis and offered up a bit of criticism over his battle with companies such as Disney. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu told Fox News that while elected officials need to “push back on woke policy” he doesn’t agree with targeting private businesses. “I come from the ‘Live Free or Die’ state, and private businesses can and should act like private businesses without the fear of being punished by people that might disagree with them,” Sununu said in his interview.
Waiting — The DeSantis team — like they did when Trump recently zinged DeSantis — are not stepping directly into this battle right now, although Christina Pushaw, who has been working with the DeSantis campaign, did on Thursday draw attention to Hochman’s Twitter thread about his article on South Dakota. Maybe it’s the calm before the storm.
— WHERE’S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to be in Tallahassee.
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ON TO DAY 4 — McCarthy fails on 11th ballot amid hopes for tentative deal with conservatives, by POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers, Sarah Ferris, Jordain Carney and Rachael Bade: The sign of hope for McCarthy follows a third day of high-profile failed votes on the House floor. There were few visible shifts over those many hours, as his opponents continued to break against him: While most started the day rallied behind Rep. Byron Donalds, by Thursday evening several had broken off to support Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), a name POLITICO previously reported as rippling amongst McCarthy’s defectors. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) also nominated former President Donald Trump.
REBEL, REBEL — Gaetz wasn’t always against leadership. Just look at his time in Tallahassee, by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon: Matt Gaetz is leading the resistance against Kevin McCarthy — but the Florida Republican wasn’t always an anti-establishment rebel. Just ask the lawmakers and political operatives who knew him when he served in the Florida Legislature. They say the Panhandle Republican could cause people headaches but was known for helping leadership. Every speaker in Florida knew he could be a pain in the ass, but they handled him well. He ran a lot of leadership bills that passed,” said a Florida political operative who has known Gaetz since he served in the Florida House for six years beginning in 2010.
Changes — Lobbyists who knew Gaetz in Tallahassee say his role as one of the most disruptive members of Congress — leading 20 Republicans rising up against McCarthy’s speakership bid — caps a transformation for the 40-year-old lawmaker. “I don’t know that I’ve known 10 House members in my life that were closer to lobbyists and the swamp than he was while he was here,” said a veteran Florida lobbyist granted anonymity to speak freely of Gaetz.
LATE NIGHT CONFESSIONS— “Matt Gaetz threatens to resign over McCarthy’s speaker fight,” by The Daily Beast’s William Vaillancourt: “Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is so committed to opposing Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s flailing House speaker bid that he offered to resign from Congress Thursday night if a faction of Democrats were to vote with Republicans to allow a more ‘moderate’ member of the GOP to take the gavel.
Planning talk — “‘My conversations with Democrats have largely been about making sure that they don’t leave the floor for dinner or fundraisers or whatnot. We need them to stay there so that the denominator in the equation on the election of the speaker allows us to have leverage to push for many of the things we’ve been discussing,’ Gaetz said.”
CRITIQUE — “Steube says lawmakers blocking speaker bid are holding nation ‘hostage,’” by Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Zac Anderson: “U.S. Rep. Greg Steube lashed out at Republicans who have hijacked the House speaker’s race, including three of his fellow Florida lawmakers, in a recent interview, saying they are holding the nation “hostage” and aren’t negotiating in good faith.”
— “Anna Paulina Luna is at the center of the conservative rebellion in Congress,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Kirby Wilson
— “John Rutherford slams Florida colleagues for messing with his staffers’ paychecks,” by Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles
— “Policy demands, personal animus and more: Meet the McCarthy resistance,” by Washington Post’s Colby Itkowitz and Dylan Wells
OOPS — “DeSantis inauguration planned to give donors special treatment. They got long lines, few seats,” by Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas and Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower: “Riding high on a wave of national attention, Gov. Ron DeSantis proclaimed to a crowd of about 250 people at a candlelight dinner for donors Monday night that his swearing-in ceremony was ‘the most requested ticket’ of any inauguration in state history. By Tuesday, they believed it.”
RESPONSE— “UF Faculty Senate chair: DeSantis administration directive sends ‘chilling message,’” by WCJB: “A University of Florida faculty leader pushed back Thursday against a request from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration that colleges and universities give state leaders information about resources used for activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory. Amanda Phalin, chairwoman of the UF Faculty Senate, said the directive sends a ‘chilling message’ to colleges and universities.”
— “Republican chaos in D.C. builds case for Ron DeSantis,” by Newsweek’s Nick Reynolds
THE SWITCH— “Dave Kerner gets state post; DeSantis names GOP chair Michael Barnett as his replacement,” by Palm Beach Post’s Antonio Fins: “Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday evening that he has named Palm Beach County Commissioner Dave Kerner to a top post at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. To fill the vacancy on the county commission created by Kerner’s departure, DeSantis has appointed Michael Barnett, a Boca Raton attorney who last month won re-election as chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party.”
— “Florida’s emergency management chief seeks changes to disaster response rules,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner
— “Gov. DeSantis names interim secretary at Agency for Health Care Administration,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton
CLOSE-UP — “Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost on the Power of Gen Z, family and organizing,” by Teen Vogue’s Rita Omokha: “Waiting in the wings to deliver his victory speech, [Maxwell] Frost tells me, ‘This whole thing feels really surreal. It’s crazy to think that the same streets I was arrested on two years ago [during the George Floyd protests], I’m about to represent in Congress.’ As he addresses his supporters, family, and friends, Frost takes in the accomplishment, dancing on stage, fired up, smiling big. He reminds them that his fight, their fight, ‘isn’t about Democrat versus Republican, left versus right. This is about the people versus the problem.’”
CAUTION — Biden to mark Jan. 6 anniversary by warning that Big Lie remains, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Lemire and Eli Stokols: President Joe Biden on Friday will mark the two-year anniversary of a violent mob storming the U.S. Capitol with a solemn tribute of the day. He’ll also deliver a warning: the threats that were exposed by the Jan. 6 select committee, and appeared beat back in the 2022 midterms, remain very much at large. According to multiple advisers, Biden will use Friday’s address to again put center stage the danger and chaos posed by election deniers even as the November elections in which many of them lost their races for office begin to fade from view.
LAWSUIT— “Trump is sued in death of Capitol police officer after Jan. 6,” by The New York Times Chris Cameron: “The longtime partner of a Capitol Police officer who died after the Jan. 6 attack sued former President Donald J. Trump and two Capitol rioters on Thursday, arguing that his death was a ‘direct and foreseeable consequence’ of their roles in the mob violence that day. The suit, filed in Federal District Court for the District of Columbia just before the second anniversary of the attack, seeks at least $10 million in damages each from Mr. Trump and two men accused of assaulting the officer, Brian D. Sicknick, with chemical spray on Jan. 6, George Tanios and Julian Elie Khater.”
— “RNC’s 2022 election audit will scrutinize Trump’s role in the GOP’s losses,” by NBC News Allan Smith
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? — “Cuban migrants arrive in Florida to uncertain future,” by The Associated Press’ Cody Jackson, Terry Spencer and Gisela Salomon: “Yoandri Sánchez Sánchez arrived in the Florida Keys just before sunrise Thursday with 22 other Cubans on a makeshift, motorized raft they built themselves. Their 100-mile journey from the communist island across the dangerous Florida Straits began on New Year’s Eve and was interrupted by heavy rain that forced them to take shelter on a small deserted island for a couple days. But after six days they finally made it, and Sanchez was overcome with joy.”
— Biden announces new program to curb illegal migration as he prepares for visit to border, by POLITICO’s Myah Ward
— “Hundreds of Cuban migrants head to Key West after landing on Keys island, Coast Guard says,” by Miami Herald’s David Goodhue and Joan Chrissos
— “‘I want to bring him home’: Families of Cuban migrants await them at Border Patrol station,” by Miami Herald’s Omar Rodríguez Ortiz and Alex Harris
TO COURT— “Florida’s lawsuit against feds over Biden immigration policies set to begin,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders: “Amid a fierce national debate about immigration issues, Florida next week will try to convince a U.S. district judge that the Biden administration is violating federal laws through policies that lead to releasing undocumented immigrants. Pensacola-based U.S. District Judge T. Kent Wetherell is scheduled to begin a trial Monday in a lawsuit that Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed against the Biden administration in 2021.”
MOVING AHEAD— “Florida Attorney General meets rejection after effort to block Zeigler DNA testing,” by Tampa Bay Times Leonora LaPeter Anton: “The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday rejected an emergency appeal from Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office to stop DNA testing of evidence in the case of Tommy Zeigler, who has lived on Florida’s death row for more than 46 years. In December, attorneys for Zeigler shipped more than 100 items to a DNA testing company in California a day after an Orlando circuit judge approved the analysis at Zeigler’s expense. But they faced opposition from Moody’s office, which sought to stop the testing and return the evidence.”
— “More fired Disney employees join lawsuits over COVID vaccine, masks,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Katie Rice
— “Survey: 3.3 million US adults displaced by natural disasters,” by The Associated Press’ Mike Schneider
— “Judge rejects class-action suit over Hillsborough transportation tax,” by Tampa Bay Times’ C.T. Bowen
— “South Florida attorney sentenced to prison for spending COVID relief money on jewelry, private jet, and Trump golf club membership,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Shira Moolten: “Instead, Derek Acree, 47, spent up to half of that money on the upkeep of an expensive lifestyle: maintaining an Audi and a boat, a child’s school tuition, nearly $70,000 in jewelry, private jet services, a down payment for a Palm Beach Gardens home, and an $11,000 payment to Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter.”
BIRTHDAYS: Former Florida House Speaker Jose Oliva
(Saturday) Diane Roberts, author, columnist and professor at Florida State University … Chris Spencer, director of the Office of Policy and Budget for Gov. Ron DeSantis … former University of South Florida President Judy Genshaft … Phil Galewitz, senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News … DeeDee Rasmussen, chapter president/CEO of ABC North Florida … Mark Lane, metro columnist for The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
(Sunday) Former State Rep. Rene Plasencia
