| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and good Thursday morning. Another day in the ever-escalating primary battle between Florida’s two GOP titans… On second thought — For Gov. Ron DeSantis, an additional excerpt from his soon-to-air television interview with Piers Morgan has the governor calling Russian leader Vladimir Putin a “war criminal.” The comments come soon after his statement last week to Fox’s Tucker Carlson that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was just a “territorial dispute” that was not vital to U.S. national interests. If you’re explaining — DeSantis further suggested that his comments to Carlson — which came under withering criticism from fellow Republicans, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio — were “mischaracterized” and that it was “wrong” for Russia to invade Ukraine last year and for it to took over Crimea in 2014. (Side note: Carlson, on his program Wednesday, suggested in a mocking tone that saying “Vladimir Putin is a war criminal” is a “childish slogan” generated by the news media.) Not stopping — Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump and his allies keep investing quite a bit of time and energy in going after DeSantis. From the Panhandle — One of the broadsides on Wednesday came from Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz — who once was so close to DeSantis that he was part of his 2018 transition team. Gaetz said on Wednesday that DeSantis “should be standing in the breach to stop any sort of extradition of President Trump from the state of Florida.” DeSantis, if you recall, blasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg but then said he had no interest in getting involved in what he called a “manufactured circus.” Florida, take it or leave it? — Trump himself issued a lengthy swipe at DeSantis and said Florida "ranks among the worst in the Country" on education, crime, affordability and yes … he dinged the governor’s handling of Covid-19. In his statement, Trump faulted DeSantis for Florida’s Covid-19 death rate — a point that echoes some of the governor’s Democratic critics. “HARDLY GREATNESS THERE!” Trump said. “The fact is, Ron is an average Governor, but the best by far in the Country in one category, Public Relations, where he easily ranks Number One—But it is all a Mirage, just look at the facts and figures, they don’t lie—And we don’t want Ron as our President!” Only about 12 months more of this … — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis will have a press conference this morning in Orange Park with Education Commissioner Manny Diaz. He is also scheduled to hold a book signing this afternoon at a Tallahassee bookstore. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | |  | DESANTISLAND | | DID DESANTIS PRESSURE WAYWARD SENATORS? — Florida lawmakers are poised to deliver one of Gov. Ron DeSantis' major priorities today: a sweeping new set of lawsuit limits that has caused a split among some Republicans. Some senators are uncomfortable with some of the bill’s provisions and contend they help insurance companies at the expense of consumers and will limit how the families of crime victims are able to seek damages in civil lawsuits. During a tense exchange between state Sens. Jason Pizzo and Travis Hutson about the bill, Pizzo pointedly asked whether DeSantis had “directly” talked to Republican senators to get them to support the bill. Pizzo’s query came a few minutes after five Republicans had voted with nearly all Democrats (minus state Sen. Linda Stewart) for an amendment sponsored by Republican state Sen. Erin Grall to make a significant alteration to the bill. One of the changes would have eliminated a provision dealing with lawsuits against property owners that has been criticized by families who were murdered, including those at Parkland. When Pizzhe o first asked his question to Hutson, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo — visibly annoyed — stepped in and said questions needed to be about the bill. Ultimately, Hutson said he wasn’t aware of the governor talking to senators. Pizzo told reporters later that he had heard at least four senators had been approached by the governor but, he said, “out of respect to my colleagues,” he declined to name them. He said he brought it up in an effort to restore some “autonomy” to the Senate. Reporters asked several GOP senators who had either voted for Grall’s amendment — or expressed discomfort during committee meetings — about whether DeSantis applied pressure. None of them said they had spoken to him about it. When asked about pressure to vote on the lawsuit limits bill, Sen. Jonathan Martin, a first-year senator from southwest Florida who voted for Grall's amendment, said there was “pressure” to vote on all bills. When asked about how legislators were voting overall this session, Martin said I think the voters made it clear that they approved of the direction of the governor. Because of that’s there lot of trust in what’s he’s doing.” ANOTHER TRY — DeSantis cleans up earlier Ukraine comments, calls Putin a ‘war criminal,’ by POLITICO’s David Kihara: But during an interview with Morgan set to air this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis called Vladimir Putin a “a gas station with a bunch of nuclear weapons,” repeating a similar line he had used in early March to describe the Russian leader. Both lines echoed a 2014 quip from then-Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in which he said, “Russia is a gas station masquerading as a country.” “I think [Putin’s] hostile to the United States, but I think the thing that we’ve seen is he doesn’t have the conventional capability to realize his ambitions,” DeSantis said, according to Fox News. | 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs copies of his book after speaking to Iowa voters during an event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on March 10, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. | Scott Olson/Getty Images |
RAMPING UP — DeSantis-aligned PAC staffs up, brings on Ted Cruz’s campaign manager, by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt: A super PAC closely aligned with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is making a major expansion, bringing on a top Republican strategist and establishing its headquarters in Atlanta. It is a move that comes as the Florida governor takes steps toward launching a widely-expected presidential run. Jeff Roe, who previously ran Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 presidential campaign, has signed on to be an adviser to the super PAC, Never Back Down, according to an operative with direct knowledge of the move.
WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS — “Where is DeSantis traveling on state business? Legislature wants to make it a secret,” by Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas: “Citing an increase in public records requests for the governor’s travel schedule, Florida legislators are advancing a bill that would shield from the public any information about how and where Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials go. The bill would impose the first-ever public records exemption for the transportation records held by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the agency that handles the governor’s security. The exemption would take effect retroactively, prohibiting anyone from scrutinizing how DeSantis has used his state travel in the past and as he prepares for a likely campaign for the Republican nomination for president.” — “DeSantis reveals agony of wife Casey’s cancer battle and sudden death of sister at age 30,” by Piers Morgan for the New York Post
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | AS THE PAGES TURN — Court rejects Trump’s urgent bid to keep lawyer’s records from special counsel, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney: A federal appeals court has rejected Donald Trump’s bid to prevent special counsel Jack Smith from obtaining key documents from a lawyer for the former president related to the handling of sensitive national security records discovered at Trump’s Florida home last year. The ruling effectively permits the Justice Department to circumvent Trump’s attorney-client privilege after a lower-court judge found that the documents likely contain evidence of a crime. IN THE RING — “GOP 2024 hopefuls grapple with how to take on Trump,” by Washington Post’s Ashley Parker and Josh Dawsey: “[Gov. Ron] DeSantis’s halting three-step illustrates the Republican Party’s broader and continuing struggle with how to effectively take on [former President Donald] Trump, the presumptive front-runner for the Republican nomination. The question of whether — and how hard — to go after Trump is particularly stark among the 2024 Republican hopefuls, underscoring the myriad risks and challenges still facing would-be rivals in attacking the de facto leader of their party.” — Proud Boys attorneys: Informant had contact with defense team, defendants, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney — Trump grand jury called off for Wednesday, by POLITICO’s Erica Orden and Julia Marsh | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | FOR YOUR RADAR — “House mulls changes to Florida’s formula for funding schools, by POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury: Florida lawmakers are nearly aligned on how much they want to spend on K-12 education next year — but the House and Senate are proposing drastically different ways to get there. House leaders on Wednesday unveiled a budget recommendation aiming to reshape the state’s funding formula for schools, updating a decades-old model that they say “doesn’t align” with school choice expansions being pursued by the Legislature. GONE — “DeSantis administration scrubs ‘equity’ from state health priorities,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Kirby Wilson and Lawrence Mower: “In an interview, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said the term ‘health equity’ has taken on a political meaning that is unhelpful in addressing important health issues related to race or ethnicity. ‘It’s an imprecise term,’ said Ladapo, who leads the Department of Health. ‘It’s a term that really has grown to have more of a political meaning than a meaning related to health. But it’s the State Health Improvement Plan. So we will focus on health.’” — “Florida lawmakers go further than medical board to ban transition care for transgender youths,” by USA Today Network-Florida’s Kathryn Varn — “Florida lawmaker introduces, then quickly withdraws, measure allowing people to openly carry weapons,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Anthony Man — “State Board of Education pressures laggard school districts to raise teacher pay,” by News Service of Florida’s Ryan Dailey — “Parkland-inspired bill allowing death penalty without unanimous jury heads to full Senate vote,” by Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner — “Florida KidCare expansion passes House spending panel with bipartisan support,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | SOMEONE ELSE — Never Don and Never Ron: The rest of the GOP field looks for a third lane, by POLITICO’s Natalie Allison and Adam Wren: The 2024 Republican primary has long been billed as a two person race between Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But in recent weeks, other GOP presidential hopefuls have been trying to carve out a third lane, doing so — in part — by portraying the two front runners as mere clones. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence have begun more aggressively criticizing positions held by Trump, and now DeSantis, on a range of foreign and domestic issues. | 
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley waves after speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. on March 3, 2023. | Francis Chung/POLITICO |
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | IS THIS A GOOD IDEA? — “Florida DCF looks to take over child protection investigations amid turnover, vacancy surge,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Christopher Cann: “Investigations into child abuse, abandonment and neglect in some Florida counties may soon be handled by the state’s Department of Children and Families, an agency that’s been suffering surging turnover and vacancy rates for years. DCF leads child protection investigations in 60 of Florida’s 67 counties. The local sheriff’s offices in the other counties — Seminole, Walton, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Broward — have managed their own such investigations for the last 20 years.” ‘I HOPE THAT HELP IS COMING’ — “Florida NAACP calls for travel advisory amid political tensions,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Lauren Peace: “The NAACP Florida Chapter wants its national board to ask people not to visit or move to the Sunshine State in light of recent proposals targeting diversity and racial issues. At the organization’s state conference on Saturday in Orlando, members proposed asking the national board to issue a travel advisory — especially for people of color. When the vote came back unanimously, Hillsborough County NAACP President Yvette Lewis said she felt relief.” UPDATE — “Once cherished in Miami, Elián Gonzalez is set to become a legislator in Cuba,” by El Nuevo Herald’s Nora Gamez Torres and Miami Herald’s Grethel Aguila: “Elián González, the Cuban boy found clinging to an inner tube near Florida shores who became the center of an international child custody dispute as well as a political battle between Cuba’s late leader Fidel Castro and Cuban exiles in Miami, is set to become a member of the island’s National Assembly after Cubans go to the polls Sunday. González, 29, was proposed as a candidate for the municipality of Cárdenas, in Matanzas, where he lives and works as assistant director of AT Comercial Varadero, a food import company run by the Cuban Ministry of the Armed Forces.” — “3 ACSO officers file lawsuits against Sheriff Watson. Judge orders answers,” by Gainesville Sun’s Andrew Caplan — “Castor says talk of Cruz connections is ‘blatantly false,’” by Tampa Bay Times’ Charlie Fargo — “Boone High student club’s ‘drag & donuts’ event canceled after criticism by board member, state leaders,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Leslie Postal — “MiamiCoin trading halted. After price tanked, Mayor Francis Suarez lost about $2,500,” by Miami Herald’s Joey Flechas and Vinod Sreeharsha | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — “Uh-oh. A new tropical mosquito has come to Florida. The buzz it’s creating isn’t good,” by NPR’s Greg Allen: “There's not a lot of love for mosquitoes in Florida. The pesky insects are unrelenting. Now there's a new species that's shown up and become established in Florida ... and its arrival is concerning to scientists. The mosquito — known by its scientific name of Culex lactator — is typically found in Central and South America. Researchers with the University of Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory first discovered it in a rural area near Miami in 2018. It's since spread to other counties in Southwest Florida.” BIRTHDAYS: Florida Supreme Court Justice John Couriel … former legislator Kelli Stargel | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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