Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared to be worried about alienating Donald Trump’s base long before the road to 2024.
DeSantis openly debated how to handle his Trump problem in 2018 when he was running for governor of the Sunshine State.
Video of mock debate sessions released by ABC News on Sunday shows the politician wondering about how to walk the line between moderate appeal and MAGA zealotry.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) helped prep DeSantis in the video, asking him, “Is there any issue upon which you disagree with President Trump?”
The then-congressman sighed as he admitted, “I have to figure out how to do this.”
Tracing out a strategy, DeSantis continued, “Obviously there is because, I mean, I voted contrary to him in the Congress. I have to frame it in a way that’s not going to piss off all his voters.”
The Florida Republican settled on a hazy answer, telling Gaetz he would “do what I think is right,” and “support [Trump’s] agenda.”
“If I have a disagreement, I talk to him in private,” he concluded.
While DeSantis has yet to officially launch a presidential campaign, insiders say he is skipping the customary exploratory committee phase. They expect an announcement to come before June, according to The Washington Post.
Sources close to DeSantis also say debate prep is already underway.
A CBS News-YouGov poll released Monday found Trump leading the pack of actual and potential Republican presidential candidates with 58% of likely Republican voters backing the former POTUS. DeSantis followed with 22% support.
<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="RelatedArticles" data-component-id="9365" data-component-props="{"index":15,"contentListType":"relatedArticles","blockTitle":"Related…","articlesList":[{"id":"64556e6be4b0e58960e45202","editionId":"us","headline":"Ron DeSantis May Be Plotting To Topple Another Democratic Prosecutor In Florida","url":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/monique-worrell-florida-prosecutor-ron-desantis_n_64556e6be4b0e58960e45202","dek":"State Attorney Monique Worrell says the Republican governor is building a baseless case to remove her from office.","defaultImage":{"type":"hector","url":"https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/645578472400003e00265481.jpeg","queryParams":{"cache":"7xOlgvS4IV"},"width":3000,"height":1995,"credit":"Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel via Getty Images"},"section":{"Id":"5576fe88e4b00a64381c1325","title":"Politics","url":"politics"},"lastPublished":"2023-05-05T22:48:45Z"},{"id":"64505256e4b039ec4e867f2d","editionId":"us","headline":"Call It Trump’s Coup Attempt, Because It Damned Well Was","url":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-coup-media_n_64505256e4b039ec4e867f2d","dek":"By failing to remind our audience what Trump did each and every time we mention him, journalists normalize his attempt to end American democracy on that January day.","defaultImage":{"type":"hector","url":"https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/64482f122500001900d065e0.jpg","queryParams":{},"width":4800,"height":2700,"credit":"Illustration: Benjamin Currie/HuffPost; Photo: Getty, Reuters"},"section":{"Id":"5576fe88e4b00a64381c1325","title":"Politics","url":"politics"},"lastPublished":"2023-05-07T12:00:12Z"},{"id":"645587aee4b0ff22e37a57ad","editionId":"us","headline":"States Try Bans To Keep China From Upping Its Share Of U.S. Farmland — From Less Than 1%","url":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/farmland-bans-china_n_645587aee4b0ff22e37a57ad","dek":"As state legislatures have acted on national security grounds, Asian Americans see echoes of xenophobic laws that previously restricted their land ownership.","defaultImage":{"type":"hector","url":"https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/645588932500006b00520f82.jpeg","queryParams":{"cache":"ypscusDO7y"},"width":6000,"height":3584,"credit":"via Associated Press"},"section":{"Id":"5576fe88e4b00a64381c1325","title":"Politics","url":"politics"},"lastPublished":"2023-05-06T12:00:17Z"}],"showArticlesPics":true,"specialLayout":"","flags":[],"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://www.huffpost.com","locale":"en_US"},"slideshowAd":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"slideshowEndCard":{"scriptTags":[],"otherHtml":""},"isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isMt":false,"entryId":"64580099e4b00eb7e63c7c37","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ron-desantis-piss-off-trump-base-2018-debate-prep_n_64580099e4b00eb7e63c7c37","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,republican-party,ron-desantis,2024-elections","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065"},"customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":7},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_slideshow":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"64580099e4b00eb7e63c7c37","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/donald-trump"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"Republican Party","slug":"republican-party","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/republican-party","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/republican-party","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/republican-party"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Republican Party","slug":"republican-party","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/republican-party"},{"name":"Ron DeSantis","slug":"ron-desantis","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/ron-desantis","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/ron-desantis","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/ron-desantis"},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/ron-desantis"},{"name":"2024 elections","slug":"2024-elections","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/2024-elections","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/2024-elections","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/2024-elections"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"2024 Elections","slug":"2024-elections","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/2024-elections"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0}}”>