| | | | |  | | By Sally Goldenberg and Gary Fineout | Good morning and welcome to the start of the week. Battleground state — Fresh off a robust legislative session, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is back on the road. The Republican governor traveled to the battleground state of Wisconsin over the weekend to give an amped-up version of the stump speech he’s been delivering on his book tour in recent months. The trip, of course, signaled DeSantis’ broader political ambitions as he prepares to announce a run for president in the coming weeks. After some people close to him said they’re expecting the launch of an exploratory committee in mid-May, ABC News reported on Friday he’s likely to skip that step and simply announce a White House bid in early June. DeSantis also received a positive reception during his 43-minute remarks at the Lincoln Day Dinner of the Republican Party of Marathon County Saturday evening. On script — The Florida governor mostly hewed to his talking points in previewing his rationale for a presidential bid — namely defeating his opponent last year in a landslide, and helping to decimate the state’s once-competitive Democratic Party. Without naming former President Donald Trump, DeSantis sought to draw a clear contrast with the party's frontrunner: While he was running the table in Florida, the ex-president’s hand-picked candidates were losing races in key states like Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona. “Politics is a team sport. You gotta build that bench,” DeSantis said. “And so now, because of our efforts, for the first time since the Civil War era, there is not a single Democrat elected to statewide office in the Sunshine State.” Session wins — DeSantis also peppered his speech with recent accomplishments achieved with a heavy assist from an agreeable state Legislature. He referenced a ban on abortions after six weeks, a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a permit and measures to limit discussion of sexual orientation in public schools — a reaction to what he calls “indoctrination” of young students. He repeatedly went after President Joe Biden — whose approval rating dropped in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll. But DeSantis made no mention of Trump, whose MAGA base he is trying to court. In fact, he borrowed from one of the former president’s 2016 rallying cries in calling for a wall along the Southern border. “If the 2024 election is a referendum on Joe Biden and his failed policies and we articulate a positive vision to take this country in a new direction, Republicans will win,” he said. “But if we let the election be about anything else and let Biden skate by with no accountability, Republicans will lose.” — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | | | DON’T MISS THE POLITICO ENERGY SUMMIT: A new world energy order is emerging and America’s place in it is at a critical juncture. Join POLITICO on Thursday, May 18 for our first-ever energy summit to explore how the U.S. is positioning itself in a complicated energy future. We’ll explore progress on infrastructure and climate funding dedicated to building a renewable energy economy, Biden’s environmental justice proposals, and so much more. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | DESANTISLAND | | TALLAHSSEE SPRINGBOARD — “‘He has to capitalize on this moment’: Florida Republicans fuel DeSantis’ likely 2024 bid,” By POLITICO’s Gary Fineout, Andrew Atterbury and Arek Sarkissian: Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature ended its session calmly on Friday, wrapping up a monumental stretch of lawmaking that will serve as the springboard for Gov. Ron DeSantis when he begins his expected run for president in the next few weeks. The relatively lightweight final day was in contrast to the frantic and emotionally charged moments that had dominated the 59 days of the annual session — one of the most productive stretches of right-wing lawmaking any state’s seen in years. Week after week, legislators pushed through measures dealing with abortion, guns, the death penalty, immigration, schools and gender identity, sometimes amid protests inside the capital. LEAKED VIDEO — “Don’t ‘piss off his voters’: Recordings reveal DeSantis’ 2018 thoughts on dealing with Trump,” by ABC News Olivia Rubin and Will Steakin: “‘Is there any issue upon which you disagree with President Trump?’ DeSantis was asked by Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz in footage exclusively obtained by ABC News of the team's mock debate sessions during DeSantis' 2018 run for governor. ‘I have to figure out how to do this,’ then-Congressman DeSantis replied, while letting out a deep sigh. ‘Obviously there is because, I mean, I voted contrary to him in the Congress,’ DeSantis continued. ‘I have to frame it in a way that's not going to piss off all his voters.’” — "Florida Republicans backing Trump denounce leak of DeSantis debate tapes: 'Disloyal hackery,’” by Fox News’ Patrick Hauf ON THE ROAD AGAIN — “DeSantis to visit Wisconsin, a 2024 battleground, as he circles Trump,” by The New York Times’ Nicholas Nehamas and Alexandra Glorioso: “But [Gov. Ron] DeSantis’s visit to a convention center outside the small city of Wausau, an area roughly 90 minutes west of Green Bay that voted heavily for [former President Donald] Trump in the last two elections, suggests that the governor is preparing to challenge the former president more directly in a crucial battleground state. ‘It’s a smart move by DeSantis,’ said Brandon Scholz, a lobbyist and former executive director of the Wisconsin Republican Party. ‘You don’t go to Wausau, Wisconsin, to get cheese curds. You go to get the grass roots talking. You go to get on local TV. It shows that DeSantis is thinking about his strategy beyond the early states, and that he’s picking his spots well.’” — “DeSantis likely to skip exploratory committee as team begins debate prep: Sources,” by ABC News’ Will Steakin and Olivia Rubin TIME IS ON MY SIDE? — “Is sun setting on DeSantis presidential run before he officially enters? Or is it about to rise?” by Orlando Sentinel’s Anthony Mann: “He’s up. He’s down. He’s getting in. Maybe he won’t. He’s a savior. He’s an authoritarian. Everyone, it seems, has a visceral, unnuanced view of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his presidential ambitions. After a campaign he’s effectively been running for the last two years, all is lined up for the Florida governor to take the next step, formally moving forward as a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.”
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | ‘FAIR PLACE TO LAND’ — “Dreamers may not be able to vote, but they convinced GOP lawmakers to aid their cause,” by Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos: “For nine weeks in a row, dozens of these young undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, traveled to Tallahassee to meet with Florida lawmakers. Every week, they traveled hours by car, from cities like Miami and Orlando, to urge legislators to protect a 2014 law that has allowed them to pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. Their goal was to share their stories with lawmakers — mostly Republicans — to convince them to counter an effort led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who earlier this year sought to repeal the law, saying the state should not “subsidize” the education of non-U.S. citizens.” LIBRARY WARS — “School book challenges, already on rise, could escalate in Florida,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Leslie Postal: “The Legislature took a final vote this week on new legislation, expected to be signed by Gov. DeSantis, that makes book challenges easier and, if the concern is sexual content, requires the books to be removed from the shelves within five days and remain inaccessible to students while being reviewed.” NEW DEATH PENALTY LAW — “Florida’s new death penalty law gets applied to old cases in Broward,” South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Rafael Olmeda: “The ink has barely dried on Florida’s new death penalty law, and courts are wasting no time putting it to the test. Broward Circuit Judge Martin Fein has already ruled that the new law applies to crimes committed before it was passed. He also ruled that it’s constitutional and that jurors have to be told that they need at least eight votes out of 12 to recommend a death sentence.” | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | |
WOOING DELEGATES — “Trump plays the inside game to stave off ’16-like convention chaos,” by Alex Isenstadt: When Former President Donald Trump quietly huddled last month with a group of Louisiana Republican Party leaders at his Mar-a-Lago estate, it was part of a broader effort to cultivate the support of the powerful officials who will decide the party’s 2024 nominee. It was also an attempt to not repeat the early mistakes that plagued Trump’s first presidential campaign — mistakes that have stuck with the former president some seven years later.
NYC INDICTMENT — “In Trump Case, Bragg Pursues a Common Charge With a Rarely Used Strategy,” by The New York Times' Ben Protess, Kate Christobek, Jonah E. Bromwich, William K. Rashbaum and Sean Piccoli: “The decision to charge former President Donald Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records — and no other crimes — highlights the unique nature of the case, the first indictment of a former American president. Mr. Bragg, a Democrat, has drawn criticism from Mr. Trump’s allies, who say that he bumped up the charges to a felony for political reasons. But Mr. Bragg has argued that if the Trump indictment is unusual, it is only because the facts of this case are unusual as well, and the charge must fit the facts.” INCOMING — “Attack ads, social media posts, vitriolic speeches: Trump’s feud with DeSantis is personal,” by Palm Beach Post’s Antonio Fins: “What has followed has been a series of sharply-worded attack ads, with stinging images, singularly aimed at his erstwhile political apprentice while sparing, or ignoring, an actual rival, former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley, also considered a turncoat by many of the Trump faithful.”
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGSITER HERE. | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | FALLOUT — “These Tampa Bay retirees worry about future under LGBTQ+ laws,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Hannah Critchfield: “As Florida reddens and a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills sails through the Legislature, some LGBTQ+ seniors fear for their retirement future in Tampa Bay. Many can’t afford to leave, residents and providers say, due to fixed incomes and the disproportionate risk of poverty that LGBTQ+ community members face throughout their lives.” — “Court documents hint at ‘public corruption’ within the city of Tampa,” by Tampa Bay Times’ William March PARKLAND FATHER — “Parkland victim’s dad faces criminal charges over alleged disputes with Oregon neighbors,” by Miami Herald’s Grethel Aguila: A father who lost his daughter in the 2018 Parkland school shooting is facing criminal charges in Oregon. Andrew Scott Pollack, 57, was charged April 12 with four counts of coercion, stalking and second-degree disorderly conduct and three counts of menacing. The charges stem from alleged property disputes with his neighbors. Pollack has pleaded not guilty.” MOST VULNERABLE — “‘Just another baby for them.’ Parents, feds fight for kids stuck in Florida nursing homes,” by Miami Herald’s Carol Marbin Miller: “At the Plantation Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Northwest Fifth Street, frail men and women with wheelchairs, walkers, and hearing aids live out their last years in an institutional setting. Nearby, but in a world of their own, medically fragile youngsters at the start of life’s journey spend day after day, year after year, confined to cribs. These children may spend the rest of their lives right here, with little to do but stare at a television, watched over by shift workers.” COVID UPDATE — “COVID hospitalizations are down in Florida but viral loads are up in parts of the state,” Palm Beach Post’s Chris Persaud: “Although Florida COVID case counts remain elusive because state health officials no longer report them on a weekly basis to the federal government, hospitals continue to show a disease in decline statewide while sewage shows a spike at a popular Florida tourism destination.” — “Miami-Dade’s elections director joins Democratic Party ahead of expected run in ’24,” by Miami Herald’s Douglas Hanks
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | BAD HARVEST “3 Florida men facing charges after allegedly killing alligator,” by WESH staff: “Three Pinellas County men were arrested after an anonymous caller reported the group using a ‘small pickaxe’ to hunt an alligator in Holiday last week. According to an arrest report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the anonymous caller witnessed the three men harvesting an alligator measuring 5.5 feet. After locating the individuals, authorities said the men admitted to the ‘illegal take’ of the alligator. The gator was seized as evidence. BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Vern Buchanan … Journalist Kimberly Moore
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