Ron DeSantis hosts donors at South Florida casino with an eye toward what's next

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gathered about 100 top supporters and donors over the weekend at South Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino to say “thank you” — and to foreshadow what might be next.

DeSantis’ 2024 presidential aspirations quickly fell apart, but there is already a sense inside the network he built for his campaign that he is eyeing another run in 2028, when former President Donald Trump likely will not be running again.

Since returning to Tallahassee full-time, DeSantis has stayed in contact with his top political donors, maintained a focus on immigration beyond Florida (including sending more National Guardsmen to the southern border), pushed the idea of federal constitutional amendments creating congressional term limits, and vocally supported the type of culture-war proposals that first made him a national star among Republicans.

DeSantis supporters see those moves, along with the weekend event at the Hard Rock, as clear signs the Florida governor is once again eyeing a White House bid. He is facing term limits and can't run again for governor. And DeSantis did note in a February thank-you call with supporters that he hadn't "ruled anything out" in terms of a future run, though he noted then it'd be "presumptuous to say" at the current time.

“I think you can absolutely read between the lines,” said a DeSantis’ supporter who attended this weekend’s events. “He has done nothing to try and downplay the idea, nor should he.

DeSantis did not directly discuss running for president again during the weekend’s events, according to three people who attended. But he told those gathered that he believed two closely watched Florida ballot measures — on placing abortion protections in state