‘Waiting For Him To Drop Out’: DeSantis Gets ABYSMAL News From Florida As His 2024 Chances Look Grim - 'A Slow-Motion Coup'

On Friday, a new report from POLITICO is serving as a scathing warning to Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as his sinking poll numbers are beginning to affect his standing in the Sunshine State.

According to the report, Gov. DeSantis is beginning to lose his grip on the Florida Republican Party as officials and lawmakers once loyal to the governor begin to rescind their stalwart support of the conservative governor.

“You don’t get the assumption they are measuring drapes anymore — they are waiting for him to drop out,” an anonymous long-time Republican consultant told POLITICO about those working for the governor.

That warning comes as the chair of the Florida Republican Party has encouraged party members to attend events of all the GOP candidates such as those at Trump's Mar-a-Lago.

Additionally, future Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez told fellow lawmakers earlier this week that “the problem with wielding the power of government like a hammer is that the people start looking like nails," a potential shot at DeSantis' way of governance in the state. He did, however, note that his comments were not aimed at the governor, “That being said, the Legislature can’t work alone, the Legislature works with the governor.”

“There’s no love lost between the Legislature and DeSantis," a Tallahassee lobbyist told the outlet. "They are faking it. They are waiting long enough to see the king drained of all his power. It’s a slow-motion coup.”

One of the leading factors likely leading to DeSantis' curtailing of influence other than his failure to recover in the national contest is his lack of personal relationships with lawmakers, a common thread that has impacted the number of endorsements he has received from the Florida congressional delegation.

“Few members of the Legislature have a relationship with Ron DeSantis,” a former state lawmaker told POLITICO. “He’s like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain. You can’t get to him. All you hear about is the great and powerful Oz.”

Last week, the state GOP caved to Trump supporters after they rescinded a loyalty pledge that would have required the state's presidential primary candidates to endorse the eventual Republican nominee, a pledge that Trump has refused to sign for the RNC debates. 

Making matters worse, Triump allies Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) have both signaled that they would potentially run for the governorship in 2026 indicating that the two men may not need DeSantis' support in the race.

According to the latest polling from FiveThirtyEight, Trump is at one of his biggest polling leads yet nationally with 55.2 percent support compared to DeSantis' 14.2 percent. On the state level in the early primary contests, the state of the race is even worse with a recent New Hampshire primary showing DeSantis in fifth place with only ten percent support, as previously reported by the DC Enquirer.

If DeSantis wishes to reverse his decline both nationally and in Florida, he will have to step up his campaign and begin to change the minds of the Republican primary voters that matter. Without it, his political career may be in danger.

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