Ron DeSantis thought he'd control who replaces him as Florida Governor.
But Donald Trump had other plans.
And Ted Cruz just made one move that has Ron DeSantis seeing red.
Trump's handpicked candidate locks down major Texas support
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz threw his full weight behind Congressman Byron Donalds for Florida governor, delivering a blow to Ron DeSantis's hopes of anointing his own successor.¹
"Byron Donalds is exactly the kind of strong conservative leader Florida needs," Cruz announced Tuesday. "He has never shied away from a fight and is firmly grounded in the constitutional principles of faith, freedom and liberty."¹
The Texas Senator's endorsement comes at a critical moment in Florida's 2026 Republican primary.
Donalds already carries President Trump's endorsement from February, when Trump posted "RUN, BYRON, RUN" on Truth Social and promised his "Complete and Total Endorsement."²
Now Cruz joins a growing coalition that includes Texas Congressman Chip Roy, House Speaker Mike Johnson, 17 members of Florida's congressional delegation, 15 sheriffs across the state, and over 60 Florida House Republicans.³
The Naples Congressman has raised more than $31 million — crushing any other declared candidate.⁴
DeSantis trapped between revenge and legacy
Here's where things get ugly for DeSantis.
The Florida Governor can't seek a third term because of constitutional limits.
He wants to name his own successor to protect the legacy he built over eight years.
DeSantis has openly touted his wife Casey as the ideal candidate to replace him, telling reporters she'd "do better than me" if she ran.⁵
There's just one problem: Trump endorsed Donalds five days before anyone expected Casey to announce, torpedoing the DeSantis succession plan.
The move wasn't random.
Trump's still punishing DeSantis for challenging him in the 2024 presidential primary.
Sources close to both camps tell a brutal story.
One month after Donalds entered the race, DeSantis's political operation started calling state lobbyists and donors, urging them NOT to back the Congressman.⁶
"I know DeSantis is still coming to grips with the idea that Byron can be the nominee, because I'm talking to donors, and DeSantis is just point-blank trashing him to donors … just nasty stuff," one Florida political insider revealed.⁷
DeSantis has publicly criticized Donalds, claiming he "hasn't been a part of any of the victories that we've had here over the Left over these last years."⁸
https://twitter.com/ByronDonalds/status/1988236858631811568?s=20
Donalds fired back, saying DeSantis is "still mad at me that I endorsed Donald Trump" and is "lashing out" over that decision.⁹
The 2024 primary wounds won't heal
Trump and DeSantis were once close allies.
Trump's 2017 endorsement lifted DeSantis from underdog status to the Florida governor's mansion in 2018.
DeSantis repaid that loyalty by challenging Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Trump never forgets betrayal like that.
He spent months mocking DeSantis as "Ron DeSanctimonious" and bragging "I got him in. He had no chance. His political life was over."¹⁰
When DeSantis crashed and burned in the primaries, dropping out after finishing second in Iowa, Trump didn't forgive.
He weaponized the 2026 Florida governor's race as his next battleground.
The Cruz endorsement proves Trump's handpicked candidate is consolidating support across the national Republican coalition while DeSantis scrambles to find a credible challenger.
Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, appointed by DeSantis in August, keeps teasing a run but hasn't pulled the trigger. Insiders say he's waiting for DeSantis to commit to backing him.¹¹
Former House Speaker Paul Renner is officially running but polls at just 2 percent.¹²
A recent St. Pete Poll showed Donalds crushing both potential rivals: 39 percent support for Donalds compared to less than 4 percent each for Renner and Collins.¹³
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/1932812381106675877?s=20
Florida becomes Trump-DeSantis civil war rematch
This isn't just about one governor's race.
Florida is staging a proxy battle that will define the Republican Party's future and settle scores from 2024.
If DeSantis backs a challenger who loses to Trump's pick, the Governor's influence evaporates. His 2028 presidential ambitions die on the spot.
But if DeSantis doesn't support someone against Donalds, he surrenders his own political machine and admits Trump controls Florida politics now.
One Republican operative captured the dilemma perfectly: "It's basically the presidential 2024 campaign all over again. We all know the adaptable outcome. You just need to go through the motions."¹⁴
Even trying to play nice won't save DeSantis.
The Governor and Casey recently played golf with Trump at his Palm Beach club, attempting to convince him not to "further engage" beyond his initial Donalds endorsement.¹⁵
https://twitter.com/GAelection/status/1987994892975653048?s=20
Trump smiled, played along, and did nothing to help them.
The Cruz endorsement signals that Trump's allies nationwide are locking arms behind Donalds while DeSantis watches his legacy slip away.
The primary isn't until August 2026.
But the race is already over unless DeSantis can convince Casey to jump in despite the Hope Florida Foundation scandal hanging over her head — a charity controversy involving $10 million that could doom her candidacy before it starts.¹⁶
Trump's getting his revenge on DeSantis.
And Cruz just made sure the whole Republican establishment knows which side they'd better be on.
¹ A.G. Gancarski, "Ted Cruz endorses Byron Donalds for Governor," Florida Politics, November 11, 2025.
² Reagan Reese, "EXCLUSIVE: Trump, DeSantis Could Be Destined For Head-To-Head Rematch In Key GOP Primary," The Daily Caller, November 11, 2025.
³ Michael Costeines, "Ted Cruz Endorses Byron Donalds in Florida's Governor Race," The Floridian, November 11, 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ Gitanjali, "DeSantis and Trump are already at odds over pick for Florida governor," Deseret News, February 25, 2025.
⁶ Liam Fineout and Marc Caputo, "Ron DeSantis' team is urging Florida lobbyists not to back Rep. Byron Donalds for governor," NBC News, March 19, 2025.
⁷ Reagan Reese, "EXCLUSIVE: Trump, DeSantis Could Be Destined For Head-To-Head Rematch In Key GOP Primary," The Daily Caller, November 11, 2025.
⁸ Anna Kaufman, "Ron DeSantis Takes Swipe at Trump's Pick for Florida Governor," Newsweek, February 25, 2025.
⁹ A.G. Gancarski, "Byron Donalds accuses Ron DeSantis of 'lashing out' at him over backing Donald Trump in 2024," Florida Politics, April 24, 2025.
¹⁰ Thomas Kika, "Trump's early Florida governor endorsement is revenge for DeSantis's 'disloyalty'," The Hill, March 21, 2025.
¹¹ Reagan Reese, "EXCLUSIVE: Trump, DeSantis Could Be Destined For Head-To-Head Rematch In Key GOP Primary," The Daily Caller, November 11, 2025.
¹² Ibid.
¹³ A.G. Gancarski, "Ted Cruz endorses Byron Donalds for Governor," Florida Politics, November 11, 2025.
¹⁴ Reagan Reese, "EXCLUSIVE: Trump, DeSantis Could Be Destined For Head-To-Head Rematch In Key GOP Primary," The Daily Caller, November 11, 2025.
¹⁵ Paul Steinhauser, "Ron and Casey DeSantis play golf with President Trump as Florida's 2026 race for governor heats up," Fox News, March 5, 2025.
¹⁶ Reagan Reese, "EXCLUSIVE: Trump, DeSantis Could Be Destined For Head-To-Head Rematch In Key GOP Primary," The Daily Caller, November 11, 2025.
