Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) aired out his issues with the Republican Party as the next presidential campaign cycle is about to begin, citing the effects of the Iran war on Americans, as well as the party’s handling of big tech companies and immigration.
DeSantis sat down with commentator Stephen A. Smith for the Straight Shooter podcast, which aired Monday night, and the governor broke down what he views as problems Republicans will have to face in the coming years. While he is viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, DeSantis did not disclose his future plans, only pointing out policy fights that await the GOP.
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Iran war caused some of GOP voter base to ‘check out’
The outgoing governor referred to the Iran war as a “big, big drag” for Republicans, explaining that the ongoing conflict led to a divorce with voters who were swayed by President Donald Trump’s America First motto in the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis compared the Iran conflict to the operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, which was finished in roughly 90 minutes.
“We have some of our voters who’ve checked out because they’re like, ‘I didn’t want any more Middle East wars, and now we’re doing it,’” he said. “Had that been wrapped up in, like, a week, like Venezuela was very quick, probably wouldn’t have been an issue right now, right? But what’s happened is it’s kind of an open-ended conflict, and it’s having a direct impact on people’s finances because they’re going to the gas pump.”
DeSantis ripped his party for “gaslighting” voters into thinking former President Joe Biden is to blame for increased gas prices, saying the cause is clear.
“We just got to be honest,” he said. “Gas is higher. It hurts people, working-class people, and it’s higher because of this conflict. That’s just the fact. If you can’t admit that to voters, then you’re gaslighting them, and they’re not going to listen to you on other things.”
The governor also noted that should the Iran war continue in Trump’s final years in office, it will not only be “devastating to his ability to get things done,” but also create an uphill battle for the GOP in 2028.
Republicans need more balance with big tech
Smith pressed DeSantis on how Republicans should navigate the aftermath of the midterm elections, as analysts predict Democrats are more likely to take the House, while the Senate remains up in the air.
DeSantis said the way Washington approaches technology policy should be at the top of the agenda, acknowledging that Democrats hold the edge as the party quickly responded to backlash to data centers and rapid artificial intelligence development. The governor cited the risks AI chatbots pose to minors, as well as how communities have been negatively affected by data centers popping up in their backyards.
“We’re in a situation where I embrace technology that enhances the human experience, but I don’t want to empower transhumanists who want technology to supplant the human experience,” he said, noting concerns about AI replacing human jobs.
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“I think we need to bring some more balance to the Republican view of how you handle big tech,” he added. “And here’s the thing … I just don’t like to be gaslit. Like tell me the truth.”
DeSantis cautioned that going as far as Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) proposed ban on AI is counterproductive, but emphasized the importance of understanding the risk with the technology as it has potential to sway voters in the next presidential cycle.
“We got to recognize that there’s potential harm from the technology, and I don’t think you shut it down like Bernie said,” he said. “But to just say that they should be able to have basically an amnesty from accountability, that’s not the right policy. It’s also not popular. So as Republicans go into the next election cycle, if the Dems are on offense on this, they’re going to be able to get voters who had traditionally been more conservative.”
DeSantis faults Noem appointment for immigration backlash
DeSantis was also asked about the Trump administration’s handling of deportations and immigration enforcement, with Smith questioning how Republicans will address the issue when many voters were unhappy with how Trump elected to carry out operations.
The governor said while immigration was “the top issue” for voters in the 2024 elections following Biden’s tenure, appointing former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to handle it was a “mistake.”
“I just think having Kristi Noem be the secretary was a mistake. She wanted to be on a horse and do this — she wanted these conflicts,” he said, referring to Noem’s DHS advertisements.
DeSantis pointed to his own state’s handling of the immigration crackdown in which he directed local law enforcement to cooperate with deportation orders when an illegal immigrant is discovered to have committed a crime.
He pointed to immigration as one of the issues Republican presidential hopefuls may try to emulate Trump on, noting it will be an interesting dynamic given how the president airs his grievances about those who disagree with him.
“I think that was unnecessary in terms of how that happened,” DeSantis said, referring to Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement. “But I think that’s going to be an issue, right? When you’re looking at ’28, there’s going to be things that obviously Republicans are going to want to emulate with President Trump. If there are things that the public wants a different direction on, then how do you thread that needle, right? Because if you are taking different positions, I think he’s probably going to have some choice words for you on Truth Social.”
2028 bid still undecided
Smith questioned DeSantis about his plans for 2028, but the governor said he hasn’t made the final call.
“We’ll see what happens,” DeSantis said. “Maybe someday. I don’t know about ’28. Maybe later.”
Still, throughout the interview, DeSantis seemed to position himself on particular policies that are already emerging as of utmost importance to voters, particularly corruption.
“This swamp here is the worst it’s ever been,” he said of D.C. “When I got elected to Congress in 2012, the first thing I did, I sold all my stocks. I’ve never traded a stock in elected office, not one time. You have some of these guys, they get to Congress, they’ve never shown any financial acumen. All of a sudden, they’re Warren Buffett.”
“Our founding fathers believed you could have the best Constitution in the world, the Declaration of Independence — if the people in office don’t display some civic virtue about public service as a sacrifice,” he added. “It’s not to use the public office for private gain, and we see so much of that in D.C.”
DeSantis acknowledged that after a Republican presidency, Democrats typically hold the edge.
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However, he said building on Trump’s policies could be successful while noting that there are certain things only Trump “can pull off.”
Political analysts have said DeSantis increasingly looks like he is going to run for president, due to both his criticisms of the Trump administration, which cost him in 2024, and his enacting policies in Florida that reflect GOP objectives, such as voter identification.