Latest news with #politicalambitions
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘He fumbled this 1,000%': How Ron DeSantis keeps making powerful enemies in Trump's GOP
Thirty minutes into a routine appearance Thursday on Florida's Gulf Coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis abruptly turned his fire on a fellow Republican, accusing a veteran state lawmaker of betraying the party's voters. Hours later, President Donald Trump endorsed that same lawmaker, Joe Gruters, to become the next chairman of the Republican National Committee. For DeSantis, the episode reinforced a pattern: picking fights that come back to haunt him. Trump's inner circle was already full of people who have no love lost for the Florida governor — a reality that has isolated DeSantis within his home state ever since he ended his 2024 presidential campaign. Now, the most powerful official post in the Republican Party is likely to be filled by another foe, further clouding the political ambitions of both DeSantis and his wife, Casey. Ron DeSantis, who has kept the door open to another White House bid, could find himself running in a presidential primary partially controlled by an RNC chairman he has repeatedly spurned. Casey DeSantis, meanwhile, has taken steps toward succeeding her husband in Tallahassee next year in a race that would pit her against Rep. Byron Donalds, a Naples Republican backed by both Trump and Gruters. The elevation of Gruters to lead the RNC blindsided Gov. DeSantis, according to people close to his political operation. With Trump's support, Gruters had previously filed to run for chief financial officer of Florida in 2026, a statewide position, and the RNC reelected the current party chairman, Michael Whatley, to another term in January following the GOP's successes last fall. While Gruters was RNC treasurer, a promotion seemed unlikely anytime soon. It also appeared as though DeSantis and Trump had largely buried the hatchet after their contentious presidential primary last year. They stood side-by-side earlier this month for the opening of a new migrant detention center in the Everglades known as 'Alligator Alcatraz,' where they showered each other in compliments. 'You are my friend, and you'll always be my friend, and we may have some skirmishes, even in the future. I doubt it, but I will always come back, because we have blood that seems to match pretty well,' Trump said. But the political playing field changed rapidly Thursday, when Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, decided not to run for Senate in North Carolina. Whatley, a former party chair in the Tar Heel State, then made clear that he would run instead with Trump's backing, leaving an opening atop the party. By then, DeSantis had spent weeks trying to take down Gruters. He appointed state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a close ally, to become the state's CFO and immediately backed him in the GOP primary against Gruters. In appearances around Florida, he shrugged off Trump's endorsement while bashing Gruters' conservative credentials. 'If George Washington rose from the dead and came back and tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Will you appoint Joe Gruters CFO?' My response would be, 'No,'' DeSantis said earlier this month. 'I can't do that without betraying the voters that elected me to lead this state in a conservative direction.' The criticism continued Thursday when DeSantis appeared just outside Gruters' district to pile on more attacks. But that evening, Trump threw his support behind Whatley for US Senate and Gruters for RNC chair in a post on social media. The ramifications of DeSantis' maneuvering against Gruters quickly crystalized. 'The governor did not see this coming at all,' a person close to DeSantis acknowledged. 'He fumbled this 1,000%.' A spokesperson for DeSantis' political operation did not respond to questions from CNN. Gruters declined to comment. A person familiar with Gruters' thinking told CNN that he hopes to lead the party through the 2028 presidential cycle. DeSantis has long earned a reputation in Florida for burning bridges on the way to the top. At first, the approach paid off. In 2018, DeSantis flouted the party establishment by running for governor and knocking off the preferred Republican thanks to Trump's support. He then unceremoniously jettisoned the operatives who helped him win, including veteran Republican strategist Susie Wiles and top adviser James Blair. As he amassed political clout, he stepped over other Republicans in the state, including many in the congressional delegation, who grumbled at their lack of relationship with the state's pugnacious leader. For a time, it appeared DeSantis could be the future of the party, and he ran for president over the objections of Trump, his former friend. But as DeSantis' presidential campaign floundered, the enemies he made along the way resurfaced. Many of those members of Congress endorsed Trump over their home-state governor. Wiles became Trump's co-campaign manager. Trump ridiculed DeSantis en route to defeating him. After his November victory, Trump named Wiles his chief of staff and Blair to oversee his political operation from the White House. Chris LaCivita, Trump's other campaign manager who feuded with DeSantis during the presidential primary, is spearheading the GOP's midterm efforts. Other Floridians more loyal to Trump than DeSantis have been handed key roles, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. DeSantis has yet to course correct as he regroups in Florida. He continues to recruit candidates to go up against Donalds — one of those Republicans who endorsed Trump over the governor — if Casey DeSantis doesn't run. He has publicly clashed with state lawmakers from his own party for blocking his agenda, lobbing personal attacks. Still, few people in Florida politics once close to the governor could comprehend why Ron DeSantis didn't appoint Gruters as CFO to extend a low-stakes olive branch to Trump. Now, they said, he may pay a price. 'His blind spot is he doesn't have a magnanimous bone in his body,' a veteran Republican fundraiser in Florida said. 'Once he has a negative opinion of someone, he cannot pivot even out of political necessity.'
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Savannah Chrisley Reveals 'There's Been Some Talk of a Congressional Run' for Herself
Savannah Chrisley hinted that she may be considering a run for Congress after advocating for the release of her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley, and becoming a prison reform advocate Savannah told co-anchor Juju Chang on ABC News Studios' IMPACT x Nightline special The Chrisleys: Life After Lockup that "there's been some talk" of her own congressional run She noted, "I don't know if that will or will not be the thing that I do or if it's what I'm called to do," but said she's currently focused on connecting with younger votersSavannah Chrisley is revealing her political ambitions. The daughter of Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley shared on the 100th episode and season 3 finale of ABC News Studios' IMPACT x Nightline that she has considered running for Congress after fighting for prison reform and speaking at the 2024 Republican National Convention. While speaking to co-anchor Juju Chang alongside her parents for The Chrisleys: Life After Lockup, Savannah, 27, said seeing Todd, 57, and Julie, 52, be convicted and imprisoned for tax evasion opened her eyes to the reality of life in American prisons. Her parents began their respective sentences in January 2023 and were released from prison on May 28 after being pardoned by President Donald Trump. "I didn't realize how broken the system was," Savannah said. "I thought bad people go to prison, and that's what it was, and that is so far from the truth. "Now I see all the broken things in the system where individuals have to be rehabilitated, where we need mental health treatment for these individuals, as well as giving them job opportunities and advocating for them when it comes to that," she said. Chang told her, "When I saw you take the stage at the RNC, I thought, 'Hm, political career?' " referring to Savannah's July 16, 2024 speech at the convention, in which she began her remarks by reading off her parents' prison identification numbers. She laughed at Chang's comment as her dad chimed in, "We cringe, but we're kind of thinking yes." Savannah then clarified, "There's been some talk of a congressional run." She explained, "I don't know if that will or will not be the thing that I do or if it's what I'm called to do, but also I believe right now my goal is to speak to younger voters." After campaigning for President Donald Trump during the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election, Savannah dressed in a pink 'Make America Great Again' top and trucker hat with Trump's name on them to pick up Todd from prison at the Federal Prison Camp Pensacola in Florida last month. While speaking with reporters outside of the prison that day, Savannah — who has been outspoken about her support for the president — said Trump has given Americans 'hope in our future." 'He is truly giving everyone a chance at a better life, and for that, I will forever be grateful,' she said, while confirming that her family plans to return to reality TV after her parents' prison release. 'It's all God and President Trump,' she said at the time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Savannah Faith Chrisley (@savannahchrisley) Savannah told PEOPLE in February that she's missed out on financial opportunities because of her conservative politics, explaining, "I lost some deals when I came out politically on why I stood for what I stood for," but noting, "in the end, it was worth it." The Chrisley Knows Best alum also told PEOPLE about her work with the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where she serves as senior fellow for criminal justice reform, and said she became "very outspoken" in the year after her parents left for prison. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Savannah, who told PEOPLE she previously "knew nothing about our criminal justice system," explained, "I grew up in the South, where you live, breathe, and die for our country. You respect our flag, you respect our nation. You respect our police force. You believe everything that they say it is. And now, I don't. I believe nothing. My eyes have been opened to what actually happens in our criminal justice system, how broken it is." She added, "When I started realizing these things, I just knew I can't stay silent about it any longer. I have to come out about it." The Chrisleys: Life After Lockup is now available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. It will air on Good Morning America on Monday, June 30. Read the original article on People
