April 28
Ron DeSantis continued on his trade mission to Israel, speaking at a conference celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of Israel. He also signed bill to tackle antisemitism in Florida, before meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
April 29
The mission moved on to the UK where he met with British Foreign Minister James Cleverly and Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch (another similarly strident politician on ‘woke’ issues). He also spoke with key business leaders hosted by Lloyd’s bank. A story emerged in Politico related to quotes from attendees who seemed somewhat underwhelmed by the governors performance.
April 30
DeSantis made his way back to Florida, following his trade mission to Japan, South Korea, Israel and the United Kingdom. He also made the front page of the UK’s Sunday Telegraph after praising Badenoch’s “war on woke” in an exclusive interview.
May 1
DeSantis signed new legislation to expand eligibility for the death penalty to child rapists and toughen penalties on drugs felonies related to children.
May 2
Tuesday continued with another piece of legislation signed to ban state and local government from making investment decisions based on environmental, social or governance factors in another apparent burnish his “anti-woke” credentials. This legislation is an attempt to stop “Davos elites [imposing] ideology through business institutions” according to DeSantis. Elsewhere, Senator Cynthia Lummis reiterated her view that DeSantis is the current leader of the GOP, despite the recent polling problems.
May 3
DeSantis signed new legislation to increase transparency in the prescription drugs market. USA Today published an article containing interviews with several large dollar donors, all of whom remain committed to DeSantis’s campaign despite recent struggles.
May 4
DeSantis closed Florida’s 2023 legislative session.
Ron DeSantis spent most of the week signing off on various pieces of legislation having returned from his four-stop trade mission around the world. Polling has improved as we await a campaign announcement.