Good morning and happy Friday.
When RON DESANTIS was in the presidential primary, he often urged voters to support him over DONALD TRUMP because he said he was the natural — and more effective — extension of the “America First” brand.
Just under a year after dropping out of the contest, DeSantis is again embracing that identity — except now he’s presenting his effectiveness as being intertwined with Trump’s, with his former rival just days away from returning to the White House. Florida, the governor has said several times this week, should lead on the Trump agenda and continue to “deliver results.”
DeSantis didn’t ask for Trump’s sign off when he announced his decision on Thursday to make Florida Attorney General ASHLEY MOODY the state’s next senator, according to a person familiar with their meetings, granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. But it was clear from his rollout that he wanted Trump and his supporters to know that she fit the MAGA mold in every possible way, from taking on the Biden administration at numerous turns to tackling the issue of illegal immigration.
Moody, too, made it clear in her short remarks on Thursday that she would embrace Trump’s plans, including proposals from ELON MUSK’s Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the federal budget.
“I’m ready to show up and fight for this nation and fight for President Trump to deliver the America First agenda on Day One,” she said.
Moody is unabashedly a legacy-making selection for DeSantis, someone who fiercely defended the governor’s agenda during the last six years and made some of his most headline-grabbing policies possible through her legal actions. She worked alongside him as he upended school and workplace policies on Covid-19, gender and race. And when it came time to pick sides, she was the only Florida Cabinet-level official to endorse DeSantis over Trump.
DeSantis didn’t make it back to Washington, but many of his policies and people who’ve worked for him are going to. And through his comments in recent weeks, DeSantis is signaling to the public that there won’t be any more public tug of war between him and Trump — because, after all, they’re aligned in a lot of ways.
It’s not yet clear if this approach will ensure Moody can win when she officially runs for election for Senate in 2026, or position DeSantis to be the next heir to the MAGA movement, especially since he’d be grappling with Vice President-elect JD VANCE for that title and is facing down a less-compliant Legislature than years past. And only time will tell how the public reacts to Trump’s policies once he’s in office, which may cause DeSantis to shift gears as he did during the pandemic.
But asked if he’d be happier in a national role than as governor, given that he’d been considered as a possible secretary of Defense for the incoming Trump administration, DeSantis responded with, “Is there another governor who has been this impactful over the last six years?”
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— “Ashley Moody’s ascent toward Senate began in Hillsborough, Plant City,” by the Tampa Bay Times’ Dan Sullivan.
SWITCHEROO — DeSantis chief of staff JAMES UTHMEIER is set to be Florida’s next attorney general to replace Moody, the governor announced on Thursday.
“My chief of staff, James Uthmeier, is kind of like Ashley,” DeSantis told reporters in Orlando, per POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury and Gary Fineout. “He’s proven himself in these fights, and I think he’s got big shoes to fill, but I think he’ll do a good job.”
ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION — “Florida sheriffs wait to see what Trump immigration policies mean for them,” reports Ana Ceballos of the Miami Herald.
What they’re saying: “In Miami-Dade County, where half the population was born in another country, Trump-endorsed Sheriff Rosanna Cordero-Stutz said her office will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement officials in county jails.
“Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who is the legislative committee chairperson for the Florida Sheriffs Association, said local law enforcement agencies only have the ability to hold migrants in custody for up to 48 hours if a federal immigration agent sends a detainer request for a detainee.”
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Florida Republican Mayors Public Policy Association led by Hialeah Mayor ESTEBAN BOVO is urging the governor and legislative leaders to provide hurricane relief, tamp down high condo fees and address illegal immigration, saying they were willing to have their municipalities work with the federal government on border policy.
The association didn’t say explicitly whether it wanted Tallahassee leaders to pass bills before the regular session, but noted that Trump planned to sign executive orders “on Day One to implement these policies immediately.”
“Florida leads because our state legislators have collaborated with Gov. DeSantis’ office to deliver the best results our residents expect from us. We would have it no other way,” the association said in a statement.
ON HOLD — “A federal judge ruled Thursday that a challenge to Florida’s high-profile law requiring age verification to view adult websites will be shelved until the U.S. Supreme Court decides on a similar Texas case,” reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury.
LEGISLATION ROUNDUP — State Reps. ANNA ESKAMANI (D-Orlando) and MIKE GOTTLIEB (D-Broward County) have filed a bill to give workers heat mitigations such as water and regular breaks, after DeSantis signed a bill to ban local governments from doing this last year, reports Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics … State Rep. RANDY FINE (R-Palm Bay) has introduced a bill that would ban undocumented students from going to Florida’s most selective public universities, per Danielle Prieur of Central Florida Public Media …
State Sen. TINA POLSKY (D-Boca Raton), has filed several bills to add gun safety rules in the state, including universal background checks and a measure that would make it illegal to make or possess homemade, 3D-printed firearms, per Liam Fineout for Florida Politics … She also has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for the state to use government funds toward advocating for or against a constitutional amendment, after the DeSantis administration did so during the 2024 election on pot and abortion amendments …
A bill from state Rep. DIANNE HART (D-Tampa) and state Sen. SHEVRIN JONES (D-Miami Gardens) would allow women in custody to have access to pregnancy tests … Jones also has a bill that would omit lawmakers’ addresses from public records, per Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics.
DESANTIS SNAGS FED PROPOSAL — DeSantis got tangled this week on a federal proposal to close Florida’s Atlantic waters to bottom fishing to help recover the red snapper. “The Biden administration’s last-ditch attempt to shut down bottom fishing shows how out-of-touch the federal government is with the reality on the water with red snapper,” DeSantis said Wednesday on X.
NOAA says that an annual bottom fishing closure affecting 55 species would significantly reduce the number of red snapper that are discarded from fishing vessels, Daniel Cusick reports for POLITICO’s E&E News. But DeSantis said he hears from anglers there are plenty of snapper in the Atlantic. “It’s time for the federal bureaucracy to get out of the way and let states lead,” he said.
The proposal, which has a 60-day comment period, was part of a 2024 federal lawsuit settlement. Seth Atkinson, a lawyer representing commercial seafood interests that filed the lawsuit, declined to comment but provided POLITICO with a Q&A on the lawsuit that he produced with his clients.
— Bruce Ritchie
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THIS WEEKEND — The Republican Party of Florida is doing numerous events around Trump’s inauguration in Washington, beginning with a breakfast on Saturday featuring Sen. MARCO RUBIO (R-Fla.), Puerto Rico Gov. JENNIFFER GONZÁLEZ-COLÓN and Reps. LAUREL LEE, KAT CAMMACK and CORY MILLS. That night they’ll host a gala with featured speaker Sen. RICK SCOTT (R-Fla.). (Forecast: The weekend is projected to be super cold in Washington, reports POLITICO’s Ali Bianco.)
Both events, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, are sold out and there’s a waiting list, said RPOF spokesperson HELEN AGUIRRE FERRÉ. (Read the details here.)
POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard will be in D.C. covering the inauguration and related festivities. Drop her a note (or pictures!) at [email protected].
GOV’S SCHEDULE — DeSantis confirmed he’d be at the inauguration and was prepared to be on hand if Moody were to be sworn in to the Senate right away.
STILL LOOKING — Rep. CORY MILLS (R-Fla.) told POLITICO’s Mia McCarthy that he’s still likely to run for the Senate seat when it opens up for a special election in 2026, even though Moody got tapped to the role.
“We’re still considering the seat in ‘26,” Mills said, adding that he texted Trump to get his thoughts on the Moody announcement.
One thing to note: A campaign committee for Moody registered on Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.
JUST SUPER — The crypto super PAC group that shook up 2024 with more than $130 million in spending on congressional races is going up today with its first ad since November. Its target: The race to replace GOP Rep. MIKE WALTZ in the ruby red FL-06.
One of the group’s three super PACs, Defend American Jobs, is going on the air in the coming days with a $500,000 ad buy backing the Trump-endorsed state Sen. RANDY FINE. The ad highlights the president-elect’s backing and talks about insurance. The crypto PAC group is poised to remain a major player entering the 2026 elections, with more than $100 million in the bank.
— Jasper Goodman
TODAY — Federal Judge AILEEN CANNON has set a hearing on the Trump classified document case to discuss the release of a final report by special counsel JACK SMITH, reports Melissa E. Holsman of Treasure Coast Newspapers.
On that: A group of House Democrats on the Judiciary Committee want Attorney General MERRICK GARLAND to release the report about the case from Smith, even if the Justice Department were to dismiss charges against co-defendants in the case, WALTINE NAUTA and CARLOS DE OLIVEIRA, writes Axios’ Avery Lotz.
A message from Alibaba:
Florida businesses like DS Laboratories are achieving global success through Alibaba’s online marketplace. It wasn’t until the Miami-based company partnered with Alibaba that they started to see an uptick in international sales.
Fernando Tamez, CEO of DS Laboratories, was surprised by how quick and easy it was to start selling globally through Alibaba’s e-commerce platform. “I think the ONLY way to enter [an international] market is to partner with Alibaba.” He went on to say that “at first, Alibaba seemed too good to be true. Now, we’re jumping into every single program they offer.”
In just one year, it is estimated that sales on Alibaba by Florida businesses contributed millions to the state’s GDP and supported thousands of local jobs.
Explore how Alibaba benefits local businesses and Florida’s economy.
WHOOPSIE — Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) appears to have gotten a big scoop ahead of many reporters. He published — then quickly deleted — a post on X about DeSantis picking Moody for Senate before the governor made an official announcement, reports POLITICO’s Ally Mutnick.
— GINNY DAILEY, an attorney and community activist, has joined Shumaker’s Tallahassee office as a partner in the Litigation and Disputes Service Line.
— “Crocodiles in suburbia: Here’s how they navigate South Florida — and how to stay safe,” by Bill Kearney of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Carlos Gimenez … Rep. Maxwell Frost … (Saturday) former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell … former Florida House Speaker Larry Cretul … (Sunday) Dan Holler, Rubio counselor and chief strategist … Curtis Morgan, editor at The Miami Herald … Former state Rep. Jayer Williamson.
