Ron DeSantis just made a major comeback play.
The Florida Governor isn't going quietly into retirement.
And Ron DeSantis teamed up with one Democrat for a move that will have Trump fuming.
DeSantis joins campaign for congressional term limits with unlikely partner
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis joined forces with an unexpected ally — former Democrat Congressman David Trone of Maryland — to co-chair a national campaign pushing for congressional term limits through U.S. Term Limits.
DeSantis faces his own term limit deadline in January 2027 when Florida state law forces him out of the governor's mansion.
But rather than fading into obscurity after his failed 2024 presidential run, the 46-year-old is positioning himself for what looks like another White House bid in 2028.
"Our Founders wouldn't recognize the 119th Congress if they saw it today," DeSantis and Trone wrote in a joint statement.¹ "Congress is now less a representative body and more like an elite country club of career politicians who are consumed by an obsession to remain in power — a far cry from its original purpose."
The timing couldn't be more strategic.
DeSantis tried and failed to unseat Trump in the 2024 Republican primary, getting crushed despite being the supposed frontrunner just a year earlier.
His campaign was a disaster — awkward on the trail, plagued by infighting, and hemorrhaging donor money by the millions.
Now he's using term limits as his rehabilitation tour.
Florida political science professor Sandra Pavelka told Spectrum News this gives DeSantis "a platform and an issue to campaign on" for 2028.²
"Certainly, he has the experience from being a congressman and a governor, and this is going to add to his resume," she explained.²
DeSantis has a long history pushing term limits — when it suited him
DeSantis isn't new to the term limits fight.
Back when he served in Congress from 2013 to 2018, he teamed up with Senator Ted Cruz to introduce constitutional amendments that would've limited senators to two six-year terms and House members to three two-year terms.³
Both amendments died in committee without ever getting a vote.
The proposals would've capped senators at 12 years and House members at 6 years — ironically, almost exactly how long DeSantis himself served before voluntarily leaving Congress to run for governor.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, DeSantis signed U.S. Term Limits' pledge promising he'd "champion congressional passage and state ratification" of a term limits amendment if elected president.⁴
He also shepherded a resolution through Florida's legislature calling for term limits at the federal level, which he signed after ending his presidential campaign.⁵
The organization praised his "extensive track record," noting he'd been "the lead sponsor of the U.S. Term Limits Amendment" while in Congress.⁴
Now he's using that record to stay relevant while Trump dominates the Republican Party.
The term limits movement has massive support but zero chance of passing
Public support for congressional term limits is overwhelming and remarkably bipartisan.
A February 2025 McLaughlin & Associates poll found 83% of Americans support term limits for Congress — including 85% of Republicans, 79% of Democrats, and 85% of independents.⁶
An earlier University of Maryland study showed 86% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats favoring a constitutional amendment for term limits.⁷
These numbers have stayed consistent for decades — Gallup found 75% support way back in 2013.⁸
But public support doesn't matter when Congress controls its own fate.
The Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that only a constitutional amendment — not state laws — can impose congressional term limits.⁹
That means either two-thirds of Congress has to vote to limit their own power, or 34 states have to demand a constitutional convention.
Congress hasn't held a vote on term limits since 1995 when the proposal failed.¹⁰
Even though Florida passed a resolution this year joining 11 other states in calling for an Article V convention on term limits, they need 34 states total just to trigger the convention — and then 38 states to ratify any amendment that comes out of it.⁹
The odds of career politicians voting themselves out of cushy jobs are basically zero.
DeSantis knows this.
Trump teased running for a third term while DeSantis pushes term limits
The contrast between DeSantis and Trump on this issue couldn't be starker.
While DeSantis barnstorms the country preaching about limiting politicians' time in office, Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of running for a third presidential term despite the 22nd Amendment's clear prohibition.²
Trump joked about it during his second inauguration and has refused to rule out another run in 2028.¹¹
Of course, the Constitution limits presidents to two terms, so Trump legally can't run again.
But Trump's hints about a third term play directly into DeSantis' hands.
If DeSantis runs in 2028 — and all signs point to yes — he can position himself as the candidate who actually respects constitutional limits while reminding voters Trump would stay in power forever if he could.
Meanwhile, DeSantis faces another Trump problem much closer to home.
His wife Casey is rumored to be considering a 2026 run for Florida governor to succeed her husband — setting up a potential proxy war with Trump-backed candidates.¹²
Trump World already has its eyes on that race, and encouraging Casey to run could be "an unforced error that will significantly hinder" DeSantis' 2028 chances, one former aide warned.¹²
Vice President JD Vance is Trump's handpicked successor and already has massive advantages — including control over the Republican National Committee's donor network as the RNC's new finance chairman.¹²
A March 2025 poll showed Vance crushing the 2028 field with 46% support among Republican primary voters.¹² DeSantis tied for second at just 7%.¹²
The term limits crusade keeps DeSantis in the spotlight while he figures out if he can overcome those devastating numbers.
But it also gives him an excuse to travel to early primary states like South Carolina and Indiana without officially launching a campaign.¹³
Smart politics, terrible odds of actual reform.
Washington, D.C. will never fix itself — and the career politicians DeSantis is railing against sure as hell aren't going to vote themselves out of power.
¹ Corina Cappabianca, "DeSantis takes on new role: Pushing for congressional term limits," Spectrum News, November 5, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ "Ron DeSantis," Ballotpedia, accessed November 6, 2025.
⁴ "Governor Ron DeSantis Signs U.S. Term Limits Pledge," U.S. Term Limits, November 6, 2023.
⁵ "Q&A – Florida's Term Limits & What's Next for Governor DeSantis?," 1290 WJNO, July 19, 2024.
⁶ "New Poll: 83% of Americans Support Term Limits for Congress," U.S. Term Limits, February 10, 2025.
⁷ "Five-in-Six Americans Favor Constitutional Amendment on Term Limits for Members of Congress," Program for Public Consultation, accessed November 6, 2025.
⁸ "Americans Call for Term Limits, End to Electoral College," Gallup, January 18, 2013.
⁹ "Governor Ron DeSantis Calls for Term Limits, Other Constitutional Reforms," Florida Office of the Governor, accessed November 6, 2025.
¹⁰ "Term limits amendment would face uphill battle," Constitution Center, accessed November 6, 2025.
¹¹ "2028 United States presidential election," Wikipedia, November 6, 2025.
¹² "Ron DeSantis's political future: A president in waiting or a man who missed his shot," Washington Examiner, April 14, 2025.
¹³ "Ron DeSantis moves toward running again in 2028," CNN Politics, February 26, 2024.
