| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | | | Hello and welcome to Monday. Start the clock — The wait is over. The Trump-DeSantis primary battle is now a two-sided affair. Stand and deliver — After sidestepping Donald Trump and his allies for weeks, a group of Ron DeSantis supporters have begun to push back amid a flurry of criticism from the former president. Guns — Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting the Republican governor, came out swinging with two new videos that take direct aim at Trump. One that came out the same day that Trump addressed the National Rifle Association said he sided with Democrats on some gun regulations. “Trump the gun-grabber doesn’t deserve a second chance,” the video maintains. Round 2 — Then came a second one on Sunday that, after mentioning the recent indictment against Trump, maintains that DeSantis would not cut Social Security — an attempt to neutralize criticism pushed by Trump world that relies on positions DeSantis took while serving in Congress. “Trump should fight Democrats, not lie about Governor DeSantis. What happened to Donald Trump?” states the ad, which aired on Fox News and was first reported by Axios. Sticky — This activity by Never Back Down came while a Trump-aligned group launched its own withering broadside against DeSantis. Make America Great Inc. put out an ad on Friday labeled “Pudding Fingers” that linked together an alleged anecdote about DeSantis eating pudding with his fingers and an assertion that DeSantis will go after Social Security and Medicare if elected president. Meanwhile — Never Back Down also has started spending on television ad buys in early states for an introductory positive ad about DeSantis as well. Defense vs. offense — The bottom line is that at least one part of the DeSantis orbit has decided that the persistent attacks from Trump needed to be responded to before DeSantis officially jumps into the presidential race in the next few weeks. The question, of course, is whether the governor himself and those who worked on his reelection campaign (and remain on the payroll now) also begin to respond to Trump. Doubters — There will be those who question the value of taking on Trump directly — or whether it’s already too late. But for now, it’s on. — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official for Gov. DeSantis Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | A message from Alibaba: Florida businesses, like DS Laboratories, are among thousands of American companies that sell products to over one billion consumers in China on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms. Last year, sales of U.S. products to Chinese consumers on Alibaba added $1.7 billion to Florida’s GDP and supported 15,000 jobs and $936 million in wages for local workers. Learn about Alibaba’s positive impact on the U.S. economy. | | | |  | DESANTISLAND | | MOUSE TRAP — “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to unveil new crackdown against Disney after 11th hour coup,” by New York Post’s Selim Algar and Jonathan Turley: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isn’t backing down against Disney. The Republican on Monday will unveil new crackdown measures against the corporate giant after it tried to kneecap his oversight of its self-governance power in the Sunshine State, The Post has learned. ‘What they tried to do is an embarrassment,’ a senior administration source told The Post. ‘The narrative the left is spinning is that Gov. DeSantis was outmaneuvered. But this is far from over, and he’s going to have the last laugh.’” — “Reedy Creek finds ‘no records exist’ for Moody’s probe into Disney agreement,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher SWINGING — “DeSantis group attacks Trump in ad as 2024 fight intensifies,” by Washington Post’s Azi Paybarah: “A super PAC aligned with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) released a television ad Sunday attacking Donald Trump as a liar facing legal peril and features an image of the former president, looking down as a red tie hangs loosely around his open collar, as a narrator asks, ‘What happened to Donald Trump?’” HALTED — “Top Republican donor sours on Florida governor’s stance on social issues,” by Financial Times’ Madison Darbyshire: “Top Republican donor Thomas Peterffy is halting plans to help finance the US presidential bid of Florida governor Ron DeSantis due to his extreme positions on social issues. ‘I have put myself on hold,’ the billionaire told the Financial Times. ‘Because of his stance on abortion and book banning . . . myself, and a bunch of friends, are holding our powder dry.’” EFFORTING — DeSantis bucks his robot reputation in New Hampshire, by POLITICO’s Lisa Kashinsky: Gov. Ron DeSantis was swarmed for photos after his speech, despite officials pleading with people to stay in their seats so the governor could move about the room. He worked the 500-person crowd at the Amos Tuck dinner in downtown Manchester for over an hour, a flurry of handshakes and photos that the state party chair said was unplanned and that defies the notion that he lacks retail skills. |  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis thanks the audience following an address at a New Hampshire Republican Party dinner, Friday, April 14, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. | Charles Krupa/AP Photo |
AT THE DINER — “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis meets with prospective voters during New Hampshire visit,” by WMUR: “Customers at the diner were intrigued to see the Republican governor, who had been the featured speaker at a state GOP fundraiser the night before. ‘I think he is a true gentleman. I think his background speaks for itself with his military experience,’ said Joseph Piwowarski, a Republican voter from Beverly, Massachusetts. Piwowarski said he is a supporter of former President Trump but is also interested in considering DeSantis as the 2024 nominee. However, winning over his vote will be difficult.”
VIRGINIA PLAIN — “DeSantis attempts to woo young evangelicals,” by The New York Times’ Ruth Graham: “Jesse Hughes, a junior at Liberty, had been hoping to hear [Gov. Ron] DeSantis offer a more intimate account of how his faith influenced his approach to governing and helped him navigate challenges like his wife’s cancer diagnosis. Instead, he said he mostly heard material he recognized from Mr. DeSantis’s other speeches. Still, he is impressed with Mr. DeSantis’s record in Florida, including his approach to abortion legislation, education, and ‘how he’s willing to take bold stances and not cave to media pressure.’” BY THE NUMBERS — “New poll: DeSantis – not Trump – leads Biden in battleground states,” by McClatchy D.C.’s Alex Roarty: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis narrowly leads President Joe Biden in the battleground states of Arizona and Pennsylvania, according to a poll of a hypothetical matchup between the two men in the 2024 presidential race. The same survey, however, finds Biden leading former President Donald Trump in the two swing states, albeit by tight margins. The poll, conducted from April 11 through April 13 by GOP firm Public Opinion Strategies and obtained by McClatchyDC, should bolster the argument from many DeSantis supporters that the Florida Republican is more electable than the former president — DeSantis skipped talking about his 6-week abortion ban to an anti-abortion audience, by POLITICO’ s Ekaterina Pechenkina — Pence commends DeSantis for Florida’s 6-week abortion ban, by POLITICO’s Kierra Frazier — “Ron DeSantis says Florida didn’t have ‘state pride’ until he became governor,” by Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski — “Why did Ron DeSantis sign Florida abortion bill late at night?” by Tampa Bay Times’ Emily L. Mahoney and Kirby Wilson — “What to know about DeSantis’ theory that US wants to control people’s purchases,” by PolitiFact’s Louis Jacobson
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | ‘WE ARE HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE’ — DeSantis wants to make it easier to execute criminals — with an eye toward SCOTUS, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: At the Republican governor’s urging, Florida’s GOP-controlled Legislature last week agreed to repeal a law that requires a unanimous jury verdict to sentence a defendant to death, a response to outrage over jurors who last fall blocked the death penalty for convicted Parkland killer Nikolas Cruz. State legislators will also soon allow the death penalty to be imposed on someone convicted of raping a child despite a narrowly decided U.S. Supreme Court decision from 2008 that found such punishments unconstitutional. TO COURT — “Andrew Gillum’s corruption trial starts Monday. Here’s what to know,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower: “[Andrew] Gillum, 43, and his political advisor and mentor, Sharon Janet Lettman-Hicks, 54, are facing a three-week trial in federal court in Tallahassee that starts Monday. The jury trial should provide an unusual glimpse into a federal political corruption investigation, featuring potentially hours of secret recordings involving Gillum and his brother, Marcus, and testimony from undercover FBI agents. Gillum has denied the allegations against him. But the federal corruption probe that led to charges against Gillum has already led to convictions against another former Tallahassee mayor and a local developer.” JUDICIAL NOTICE — “Court rejects challenge to ‘Sanctuary Cities’ law,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders: “In a win for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers, a federal appeals court Thursday tossed out a challenge to a 2019 immigration law that banned so-called sanctuary cities in Florida. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a ruling by a South Florida district judge that blocked parts of the controversial law. The appeals court also ordered dismissal of the lawsuit because it said plaintiffs did not have legal standing to challenge the law.” — “Florida Republican lawmakers ‘frustrated’ with DeSantis,” by The Floridian’s Javier Manjarres — “AHCA Secretary’s comments on Medicaid expansion don’t add up,” by Florida Politics’ Christine Jordan Sexton
| | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | ‘IT IS NEVER COMING BACK’ — Trump turns from past to future at RNC donor retreat, by POLITICO’s Natalie Allison: Donald Trump stood before Republican National Committee donors on Saturday to make his case for a return to the White House, arguing that he deserves another chance to finish a dramatic party transformation that he started nearly eight years ago. In his remarks to GOP elite gathered at the Four Seasons Hotel, Trump traded the election grievance rhetoric that has defined his last two years in the public eye for a different type of message — his vision for the future, while arguing that he single-handedly “saved” the Republican Party from “the establishment class” when he won in 2016. — “Trump reports little income from Truth Social, $1M from NFTs,” by The Associated Press’ Michelle L. Price — Indictment turbocharges Trump’s fundraising, by POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | ‘RAZOR-THIN’ RACE IN JACKSONVILLE — The two mayoral candidates in Jacksonville — one a Republican, one a Democrat — are locked into an extraordinarily tight race, according to a new poll released Monday by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab. The survey of likely voters ahead of the May 16 election put Democrat Donna Deegan at 48 percent and Republican Daniel Davis at 47 percent. That’s well inside the 3.8 percent plus or minus margin of error. “We’re looking at another razor-thin race that will undoubtedly come down to turnout,” said Michael Binder, the lab faculty director and UNF professor of political science. “Both candidates will have a chance to address the issues important to voters in Thursday’s debate on UNF’s campus, and it’ll be important for each of them to energize their bases to get to the polls in May.” This is an off-year race, but it marks the first significant test for Florida Democrats since Nikki Fried took over as party chair. DeSantis endorsed Davis after the primary and both parties have already invested money into the contest. Here’s one other interesting data point: The poll done by UNF found that crime was far and away the most important problem facing Jacksonville, a city that has been led by a GOP mayor for the past eight years: 47 percent of poll respondents cited crime compared to 8 percent who said housing costs and 7 percent who said education. — “As he weighs presidential run, Suarez avoids taking positions on DeSantis’ policies,” by Miami Herald’s Joey Flechas | | | | GO INSIDE THE 2023 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is proud to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage, insider nuggets and unparalleled insights from the 2023 Global Conference, which will convene leaders in health, finance, politics, philanthropy and entertainment from April 30-May 3. This year’s theme, Advancing a Thriving World, will challenge and inspire attendees to lean into building an optimistic coalition capable of tackling the issues and inequities we collectively face. Don’t miss a thing — subscribe today for a front row seat. | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | DELUGE — “Caught off guard: How South Florida’s rare storm compares to others, and where it sits in history,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Bill Kearney, Angie DiMichele and Amber Bonefont: “Just days later, meteorologists are looking into exactly what happened. The forces at play were not those of a tropical storm, but they delivered more rain than most hurricanes, along with intense winds. ‘There isn’t a good buzzword for this,’ said National Weather Service meteorologist Nick Carr of the anomalous weather event, and he said they don’t yet know why it focused largely over the Fort Lauderdale area.” — “Broward schools to reopen Monday after unprecedented rainfall in Fort Lauderdale area,” by Miami Herald’s Omar Rodríguez Ortiz — “Flooding to bring ‘boom’ of mosquitoes in coming days,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Shira Moolten — “Pumps run dry as post-storm gas shortages from flooding continue across South Florida,” by Palm Beach Post’s Antonio Fins BALLARD STAFFS UP IN MIAMI — A former top aide to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is joining Ballard Partners’ Miami office as a partner. Nikolas Pascual was chief of staff for Suarez and oversaw Suarez’s legislative and policy agenda. Prior to that role he worked as a senior advisor to the city manager and led the city’s government relations team. “Nik has been an exceptional leader on my team at City Hall, and I am grateful for his service to our city and wish him the best in his professional endeavors at Ballard Partners,” said Suarez in a statement. — “‘I almost had a heart attack’: Florida homeowners rattled by property insurance costs,” by Palm Beach Post’s Hannah Morse: — “At Clearwater abortion clinic, a dividing line after DeSantis signs 6-week ban,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Lauren Peace
| | A message from Alibaba: Alibaba helps American businesses succeed globally. In 2022, $66 billion worth of U.S. products were sold on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms, a nearly 10% increase over 2021. From household names to emerging small businesses, thousands of American companies sell products to over one billion consumers in China on Alibaba.
Read how American businesses are succeeding with Alibaba. | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | BIRTHDAYS: State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues
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