DeSantis Makes Case to Succeed Trump

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Simply the best! Here’s to Tina Turner, the Queen of Rock’n Roll.

Turner passed away on Wednesday after a long illness at the age of 83.

She is known for her powerful, gritty voice and magnetic performances. And for staging one of the greatest comebacks in pop music history.

After years of physical and emotional abuse by her husband, Ike, Tina left him and came back stronger. She had massive hits in the 1980s like “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” “Private Dancer” and “The Best.” There are so man incredible tributes to her, but we especially like this one from Oprah.

Tina shared many incredible life lessons. This quote sticks with us:

“People think my life has been tough, but I think it's been a wonderful journey. The older you get, the more you realize it's not what happened, it's how you deal with it.” — Tina Turner

Cheers to that!

Mosheh, Jill, & Courtney

🗞 RON DESANTIS ENTERS THE RACE

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made it official, announcing via Twitter— albeit delayed by 25 minutes of technical issues— that he’s seeking the Republican nomination for president.

TWITTER, WE HAVE A PROBLEM
DeSantis tried to make the announcement in a first-of-its-kind live conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk on the Twitter Spaces audio platform. But it crashed repeatedly, making it virtually impossible for most users to hear the announcement in real time in the first half hour. Below is a clip from when they finally got the ‘Spaces’ room working.

In a very friendly conversation with Musk and David Sacks, an investor, entrepreneur and DeSantis supporter, the governor ticked off his accomplishments when it comes to immigration, his fight against what he calls the “woke mob,” his management of COVID, crime and other issues. He decried what he calls a “culture of losing” in the party—a subtle dig at Trump who many Republicans blame for major election losses in 2018, 2020 and 2022.

DeSantis also released a campaign video, saying he’s ready to lead “Our Great American Comeback.”

SO, WHO IS RON DESANTIS?
You’ve heard his name, but do you really know him? Here’s some of his bio. DeSantis is a native Floridian, Iraq War veteran, and graduate of Yale & Harvard.

• He was first elected to Congress in 2012 where he was a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

• DeSantis served as a House member until 2018, when he was elected Florida’s Governor. Trump’s endorsement was key to his initial victory. He was then reelected in a landslide in 2022.

• He worked his way through undergrad at Yale University, where he graduated with honors and was the captain of the baseball team.

• Afterward, he went on to Harvard Law School. He later served in the Navy as a JAG officer, including a deployment to Iraq.

• His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

• He’s married to Casey DeSantis, his wife of 13 years. They have three kids: Madison, Mason and Mamie.

WHAT DOES HE STAND FOR?
As governor, DeSantis recently signed a slate of bills that could be a preview of what his presidency would look like:

• He began to get national attention with his response to the pandemic, when he lifted lockdowns and opened schools faster than other states. He also pushed back against vaccine and mask mandates. He has criticized Trump for deferring to Dr. Anthony Fauci.

  • At the same time, Florida had the third highest COVID death toll behind California and Texas. Since they are also the three most populous states, another way to measure is per-capita death rate: Florida had the 18th highest death rate.

• DeSantis likes to say: “Florida is where woke goes to die.” His "Parental Rights in Education" bill, which critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, prohibits lessons on sexual orientation and gender studies in certain grades. It ignited a years-long fight with Disney after the company came out against the legislation. Background

• He took a stand recently against the AP African American Studies curriculum in the state, alleging it included critical race theory and Black Lives Matter studies.

• Prior to taking on more of the culture fights, DeSantis was praised early in his term for successful bipartisan bills that increased Florida teachers’ salaries. He has spent much of the last few years in a battle with teacher’s unions.

• He also passed a plan to lower prescription drug prices and establish more affordable housing.

• DeSantis signed two of his most notable — and most partisan — laws recently: banning abortion in the state after six weeks, and allowing Florida residents to carry concealed guns without a permit.

DESANTIS VS. TRUMP
DeSantis’ run for President sets up a highly-anticipated face-off with former President Trump. Some GOP voters see DeSantis as a much younger (44 vs. 76), more electable version of the former president, with fewer legal problems, the ability to serve two terms in office and a much better command for policies and legislation. That said, Trump is still dominating in the latest Republican polls and there are questions about Desantis’ ability to connect with voters and fellow Republican leaders.

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
It wasn’t long ago that the two men were supporters of one another. In fact, it was Trump’s endorsement that gave Governor DeSantis the boost he needed to win his first run for governor in 2018. Now, Trump sees DeSantis as his biggest threat, ridiculing him on social media and giving him nicknames like “DeSanctimonious” and “Meatball Ron.”

Here is how Trump reacted on his “Truth Social” platform on Wednesday (he apparently is calling him “Rob” as well):

⏳ SPEED READ

📌 Fitch puts United States’ AAA rating on negative watch, citing debt ceiling fight (CNBC)

📌 Chief Justice John Roberts: Supreme Court seeks to assure public on justices’ ethics (POLITICO)

📌 South Carolina 6-week abortion ban heads to governor's desk for approval (ABC NEWS)

📌 Tesla brand name takes a tumble among Americans in new survey (AXIOS)

📌 France bans some domestic flights to cut carbon emissions (BBC)

📌 Women less comfortable than men investing retirement money (AXIOS)

📌 Peloton relaunches its workout app with new free and pricier subscription tiers (TECH CRUNCH)

📌 Alex Murdaugh indicted by grand jury on federal fraud charges (COURT TV)

📌 Sex Abuse in Catholic Church: Over 1,900 minors have been abused in Illinois, according to the state (NY TIMES)

📌 Rachael Ray gets emotional during last episode of her show: 'We'll see ya when we see ya' (USA TODAY)

🗓 ON THIS DAY

• 1961: President John F. Kennedy, in a speech to Congress, said the United States would land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. The US achieved that goal within 8 years during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.

• 1977: George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars’ premiered in theaters.

• 1999: The series finale of 'Home Improvement' aired on ABC.

   

• 2011: The last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show aired; the long-running TV program had helped make Winfrey one of the richest and most influential women in the United States.