Ron DeSantis

They say of Donald Trump, “The cruelty is the point.”  For Ron DeSantis, we might amend that to say, “The cruelty was pointless.” Rarely in American politics has a civic leader, a governor no less, used his official power to marginalize, demean, and endanger so many — in the naked service of career advancement — only to fall so spectacularly flat.  In the case of DeSantis, the Florida governor got trounced by Trump in the Iowa Republican caucuses. And despite his “Never Back Down” branding, DeSantis…

After months on political life support, Ron DeSantis has finally put himself — and everyone else — out of his misery and suspended his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination. While the Florida governor ran on a wet dream policy package for extremist, culture war-obsessed conservatives, his campaign simply could not overcome its biggest obstacle: Ron DeSantis himself.  American presidential politics has a storied history of promising candidates tanking over awkward moments and unfortunate gaffes. Jeb Bush…

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his Republican presidential campaign on Sunday, ending his 2024 White House bid just before the New Hampshire primary while endorsing his bitter rival Donald Trump. The decision leaves Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the last major candidates remaining in the race ahead of Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. This is the scenario Trump’s foes in the GOP have long sought, raising the stakes for this week’s contest as the party’s last chance to stop the…

Ron DeSantis repeatedly pledged to “never back down.” His campaign even recently released a song from country singer Billy Dean entitled, “Never Back Down.” But now, the Florida governor is doing just that. On Sunday afternoon, DeSantis announced he is ending his 2024 campaign, after failing to match his early fundraising prowess with appeal to voters. DeSantis’ decision to exit the race comes two days before the New Hampshire primary, in which polls indicate he would finish third. The GOP primary is now a…

It’s been a long time since virtually anyone in the elite of right-wing media, the national Republican Party, or conservative grassroots leadership has thought Ron DeSantis wasn’t going to be a loser. But Iowa was the 2024 state that was supposed to be his biggest gimme. On Monday night, even that fantasy came crashing down. Trump dominated Iowa, so much so that the Associated Press called the race barely 30 minutes after caucuses began. Entrance polls showed Trump  30 points ahead of DeSantis and Nikki Haley, who…

Just one year ago, Donald Trump and his team were openly welcoming Nikki Haley into the GOP presidential primary, even as the former president was privately trashing her for being a “two-faced” phony who didn’t know when to stop turning against — then back to — him. For much of 2023, Trump, his senior staff, and outside supporters mostly left Haley, Trump’s former United Nations ambassador, alone — sometimes at the specific urging of Trump advisers, according to two Trump allies and a screenshot of messages…

No one is safe from former President Donald Trump’s accusations of election fraud, not even his fellow Republicans — specifically Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.  While Trump’s baseless accusations of election fraud tend to focus on President Joe Biden, ahead of the anniversary of Jan. 6 Trump’s campaign mailed out flyers accusing DeSantis of “trying to rig the Iowa Caucus,” which is set to take place on Jan. 15. NBC News confirmed the mailer’s authenticity and its connection to the…

Image: Bandai, Larian Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Vicky Leta/Gizmodo, IFC, Mario Tama (Getty Images), and HBOA new year is upon us, but don’t say goodbye to the old one just yet! For the past 3 weeks io9 has been delivering our Year in Review for all things 2023—our favorite films and shows, cool toys, people we lost, the trends that defined a year of sci-fi, fantasy, and genre pop culture, and so much more. Why not take a look and see what you missed? Image: Bandai, Larian Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Vicky…

There have been so many words written about the expanse of genre here at io9, and 2023 was a wildcard of a year for entertainment (including Marvel Studios, Star Wars, DC Studios, and Max), theme parks, and games. We covered a lot of ground, from union-strong solidarity during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes to…Read more... There have been so many words written about the expanse of genre here at io9, and 2023 was a wildcard of a year for entertainment (including Marvel Studios, Star Wars, DC Studios, and Max), theme…

Earlier this year, Disney filed a lawsuit against Florida governor Ron DeSantis and the state’s other elected officials. The corporation apparently isn’t done hitting the state quite yet, as it’s now suing Florida again while also facing a lawsuit from one of its recent actors.Biggest Questions After Watching the Original WillowAs far as the former’s concerned, ClickOrlando reveals Walt Disney Parks & Resorts filed a suit this past Friday. It accused the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (or CFTOD) of…