Ron DeSantis crashed and burned spectacularly in the 2024 Republican primary.
The Florida governor dropped out and quit the race after just one contest.
But Ron DeSantis’ latest move just exposed his real plans for 2028.
DeSantis Quietly Lays Groundwork While Denying 2028 Run
The term-limited Florida governor is making calculated political moves that have nothing to do with governing and everything to do with positioning for another White House bid.
DeSantis wants to redistrict Florida's congressional map mid-decade to create three to five additional Republican seats in the House.¹
He's pushing the state legislature to wait until after the Supreme Court decides Louisiana v. Callais — a case that could gut racial gerrymandering prohibitions — before redrawing the maps.¹
Translation: DeSantis wants maximum flexibility to gerrymander districts that boost GOP numbers nationwide, giving him bragging rights with Republican primary voters in 2028.
He already pushed through a congressional map in 2022 that added four Republican seats compared to the original version, bringing Florida's delegation to 20 Republicans and eight Democrats.²
That aggressive redistricting wasn't about good governance.
It was about building a track record DeSantis can sell to conservatives when he inevitably runs again.
DeSantis Challenges Trump on Key Policies
The Florida governor is also staking out his own positions that put him at odds with President Trump — a risky move for someone who supposedly isn't running.
Last week DeSantis proposed an AI bill of rights for Florida that came just days before Trump issued his long-awaited executive order to federalize AI regulation.³
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2000696952623665456?s=20
Attorney General Pam Bondi — a fellow Floridian and Trump loyalist — could take legal action against DeSantis over the state law, though the governor has downplayed that possibility.³
DeSantis also designated the Council on American Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, going further than Trump's administration, which only designated some Muslim Brotherhood chapters in specific countries.³
This isn't random policy-making.
DeSantis is trying to outflank Trump on the Right while the President is still in office — exactly what you'd do if you're planning to challenge Trump's hand-picked successor in 2028.
The Math Looks Terrible For DeSantis' Comeback
Vice President JD Vance dominates 2028 polling with 53% support among Republican voters, while DeSantis trails at 45%.⁴
Donald Trump Jr. sits at 10%, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — another Floridian — polls at 8%.⁴
A popular betting site gives DeSantis only a 3% chance of winning the 2028 GOP nomination.⁵
That's a stunning collapse for someone the media crowned "DeFuture" after his landslide 2022 reelection as Florida governor.
DeSantis's 2024 campaign exposed serious flaws that haven't disappeared. Trump himself said DeSantis "needs a personality transplant, and those are not yet available."⁶
The awkward interactions with voters, the staff chaos, the $100 million super PAC that imploded — none of that has been fixed.
"Although DeSantis was once viewed as 'Trump without the baggage,' he is now seen by many as looking like an overstuffed suitcase," University of South Florida professor emeritus Darryl Paulson explained.⁷
https://twitter.com/mitchellvii/status/1998520936228860002?s=20
DeSantis's Window Depends on Trump's Popularity
University of Central Florida politics professor Aubrey Jewett said DeSantis's political future rests entirely on Trump's standing with Republican voters.⁷
If Trump remains popular and endorses Vance or Rubio, DeSantis has no path to the nomination.
But if Trump's popularity dims — and there are early signs that's happening with independents and even some 2024 GOP supporters — DeSantis could have an opening.⁷
"Basically selling himself as a successful conservative governor of a large state that became much more red because of his policies, but without most of the personal baggage that always seems to accompany Trump that even some of his supporters don't really care for," Jewett said.⁷
DeSantis will be term-limited as Florida governor in January 2027, giving him nearly two full years to campaign without political obligations.
https://twitter.com/CryptidPolitics/status/1999483379939471428?s=20
The Governor has proven that he can raise more money than the average politician.
But will Republican voters want to give him another chance after he embarrassed himself by challenging Trump in 2024?
Trump warned DeSantis in early 2023: "Is Ron really that stupid to run against me? Why doesn't he just wait until 2028? Now nobody wants him. He's done."⁸
Time will tell if Trump was right. But DeSantis's recent moves in Florida prove one thing: he's absolutely positioning for another run, no matter what he tells reporters.
¹ Naomi Lim, "DeSantis's Florida moves lay groundwork for possible 2028 presidential return," Washington Examiner, December 15, 2025.
²- ⁷ Ibid.
⁸ "Formerly 'DeFuture,' DeSantis is diminished as the 2028 GOP nominee," The Hill, August 14, 2025.
