Ron DeSantis profile: The Florida governor with White House buzz

When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis strolled up to the podium connected a sunny time successful aboriginal October, helium didn't look the portion of a antheral lasting conscionable feet from the shattered remnants of boats and properties near ruined by Hurricane Ian successful Fort Myers Beach. Dressed successful finely pressed grey trousers and a blazer, helium looked much acceptable to instrumentality connected a time astatine his bureau successful the authorities superior of Tallahassee hundreds of miles away.

The country was made alien by the show of the antheral lasting a fewer steps implicit his close shoulder: US President Joe Biden, a governmental rival with whom helium has clashed connected everything from Covid-19 restrictions and LGBT rights to "woke" acquisition and borderline security.

"Mr President, invited to Florida," Mr DeSantis said aft a lukewarm embrace. "We admit moving unneurotic crossed assorted levels of government."

This willingness to enactment with rivals - arsenic good arsenic his superior demeanour and bearing - person prompted immoderate journalists and Republican observers to notation to Mr DeSantis arsenic "Trump with substance" oregon "Trump 2.0".

"Trump was ne'er astir policy. He was each astir attitude," erstwhile Republican National Committee spokesperson Doug Heye told the BBC. "DeSantis surely engages successful Trump tactics, but there's some governmental and argumentation goals successful caput down them."

It's an representation that appeals to galore voters successful the Sunshine State.

With conscionable weeks to spell until the November midterm election, polls amusement Mr DeSantis with a comfy pb against Charlie Crist, the Democrat helium is facing successful Florida's gubernatorial race.

Here's a deeper look astatine the antheral immoderate judge is the caller look of the Republican Party and, potentially, the adjacent Republican president successful the White House.

At 44 years old, Mr DeSantis is inactive a comparative newcomer to US politics, having archetypal been elected to the House of Representatives successful 2012. Just six years aboriginal successful 2018 - aft a short-lived bid to go a legislator - helium became governor.

Born successful Jacksonville, Florida, successful 1978, Mr DeSantis went connected to survey past astatine Yale University - wherever helium was skipper of the shot squad - and soon aft to Harvard Law School.

During his 2nd twelvemonth astatine Harvard, helium was commissioned arsenic an serviceman successful the US Navy and was assigned to its ineligible arm, the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps. His work arsenic a JAG serviceman included moving with detainees held successful Guantanamo Bay, arsenic good arsenic an duty arsenic a ineligible advisor for elite US Navy Seals deployed to Iraq.

Mr DeSantis was honourably discharged from the subject successful 2010, though helium continues to service successful the US Navy reserve. It was besides astir this clip that helium met his wife, Casey, a section TV quality newsman and crab subsister who helped spearhead fundraising successful the aftermath of 2022's Hurricane Ian.

The New Yorker aboriginal described the mates and their children arsenic "ready made for a run brochure", and quoted 1 workfellow of Mr DeSantis arsenic saying they "look similar they're from cardinal casting".

After his progressive work work ended, Mr DeSantis became a national prosecutor. Then successful 2012 helium entered a contention for a spot successful Florida's Sixth Congressional District, 1 of the astir blimpish successful the state.

During this archetypal foray into Florida politics, Mr DeSantis mostly campaigned connected a level of "small government" and reduced taxes - arsenic good arsenic a pronounced absorption to the Obama administration. He condemned what helium deemed the government's inclination to intervene connected "virtually immoderate issue, from the waistline of children to the somesthesia of earth".

"My ngo was mostly to halt Barack Obama," helium recalled successful a February code astatine a blimpish league successful Texas. "Those were bully fights. Important fights."

In 2018, aft 5 years connected Capitol Hill - wherever helium helped recovered the "Freedom Caucus" of hard-right conservatives - Mr DeSantis announced his volition to tally for governor, with the afloat endorsement of then-President Donald Trump.

Mr Trump's power implicit the DeSantis run was rapidly and abundantly clear.

In 1 memorable campaign ad, Mr DeSantis is seen telling 1 of his children to "build the wall" portion playing with blocks, teaching different to work with a "Make America Great Again" sign, and speechmaking to his lad Mason. "Then Mr Trump said 'you're fired!' - I emotion that part," helium says.

The New Yorker aboriginal quoted Kevin Cate, a media advisor for Mr DeSantis' opponent, arsenic saying that the 30-second commercialized was "the dumbest, astir effectual advertisement successful Florida history".

He was sworn successful arsenic politician successful January 2019.

Mr DeSantis' archetypal large situation arsenic politician came successful 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic. By April, he'd ordered a state-wide lockdown, acceptable up hundreds of trial centres and ordered millions of masks - which helium publically said "could perchance ward disconnected infections for the astir vulnerable".

By April 2020, however, Mr DeSantis had begun lifting the state's restrictions and by July - contempt skyrocketing cases and scathing disapproval - ordered that schools beryllium reopened.

"Covid is truly wherever helium made his name, successful being idiosyncratic who was benignant of bucking the nationalist contented astatine the time," Sarah Longwell, a Republican strategist and laminitis of Republican Voters Against Trump, told the BBC. "There's a batch of radical successful the authorities who appreciated his position."

At the aforesaid time, helium was being nationally televised connected Fox News, done which helium took purpose astatine President Joe Biden aft helium was sworn successful to the White House successful January 2021.

"The opposition betwixt a doddering, quasi-senile President who has to person his property squad cleanable up his remarks aft each clip helium opens his mouth, versus idiosyncratic similar maine who's retired there, I americium precise direct," helium said successful a March TV appearance. "I accidental what I mean. I mean what I say. I lead, and I get things done."

The things he's "got done" since past person propelled him to a presumption arsenic 1 of the country's astir recognisable Republican figures. In March 2022, for example, helium signed a measure - which activists dubbed "Don't Say Gay" - that banned discussions of intersexual predisposition oregon sex individuality successful superior schools.

He besides established an "Office of Election Crimes and Security" successful 2022 to look into alleged voting crimes. Some radical with past felony convictions were arrested for alleged elector fraud, but expressed confusion, saying they had been told they were eligible to ballot and sent registration cards by section officials.

After the US Supreme Court removed the law close to abortion, Mr DeSantis declared that "the prayers of millions" had been answered. Since past helium has been little vocal connected the issue, which immoderate person speculated is simply a governmental calculation aimed astatine balancing unit from blimpish elements successful the Republican Party with the views of Florida voters, a bulk of whom are pro-choice.

A instrumentality signed by the politician that banned abortions aft the 15-week people drew ineligible challenges, and is present being dealt with by the state's ultimate court.

Critics precocious accused Mr DeSantis of "weaponising" migrants arsenic portion of a governmental stunt, erstwhile helium arranged for a radical of mostly Venezuelan asylum seekers to beryllium flown from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, a wide enclave successful Massachusetts.

"That [the migrants] was again him precise proactively inserting himself into a civilization war," Mr Heye said. "He's consenting to play the relation civilization warrior successful chief."

Ms Longwell said that Mr DeSantis' battles with the media astir his much arguable policies whitethorn yet beryllium what is propelling him to governmental stardom.

"People marque a batch of who Ron DeSantis hates, but 1 of his biggest assets is who hates him," she said. "The media finds him appalling, and helium loves that. That's different happening helium learned from Trump. If you outrage the media, they speech astir you a lot, and that boosts your sanction ID and helps you with fans and loyalists."

So far, Mr DeSantis has not announced immoderate volition to tally for president successful 2024 and said he's lone focused connected the 2022 Florida race. Still, speculation is swirling that helium whitethorn beryllium the starring Republican campaigner should Mr Trump not tally again, oregon perchance adjacent if helium does.

Some polls amusement Mr DeSantis present up of Mr Trump successful Florida sentiment polls connected a imaginable 2024 showdown, and successful a choky contention with him nationally.

Ms Longwell, who conducts predominant absorption groups with Trump 2020 voters, said that Mr DeSantis is "far and distant the fig 1 sanction that comes up" erstwhile participants are asked who'd they'd similar to spot tally if Mr Trump isn't successful the race.

While she believes helium is "positioning himself" for the anticipation successful that scenario, it "remains unclear" whether he'd beryllium capable to bushed Mr Trump to the nomination.

"I'm not definite if DeSantis has the foodstuff oregon the quality to instrumentality connected Trump one-on-one," she said. "There's a batch of radical talking astir him arsenic the aboriginal of the Republican Party. But it's excessively soon to foretell that - we've ne'er seen this feline run connected a nationalist stage."