Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will headline the State Freedom Caucus Network dinner in Dallas on Friday, fueling speculation about a 2028 White House run.
A former GOP lawmaker and House Freedom Caucus co-founder, DeSantis is seen as a welcome addition to the convention lineup. Term-limited in 2027 for governor, DeSantis has stayed in the spotlight with moves like ending school vaccine mandates and proposing a voter referendum on eliminating property taxes.
“That would allow Floridians to be able to own their home without having to pay rent to the government,” DeSantis said of the no-property-tax plan.
Tim Jones, state director of the Missouri Freedom Caucus and former state House speaker, told The Washington Times the following:
“I’d love to hear an update on what is occurring in Florida. They always seem to be, because of him, at the tip of the spear on a lot of the freedom and liberty fights that we in the Freedom Caucus engage in. There’s a lot of buzz around. ‘Who is going to continue the America First Trump message? Is that going to be J.D. Vance? Is that going to be [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio? Is that going to be Ron DeSantis?’”
DeSantis recently enacted $2 billion in tax cuts and tougher penalties for crimes like police evasion, animal cruelty, and human trafficking. An appeals court also cleared him to keep operating Florida’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” a detention center for deporting illegal aliens.
Louisiana Freedom Caucus Chair Beryl Amedee praised DeSantis’ conservative leadership as a model for her state and said Trump’s rapid gains make the next three years crucial in choosing the nation’s future leader.
DeSantis, who hasn’t confirmed future plans, launched the Florida Freedom Fund in 2024, helping defeat ballot measures on recreational marijuana and abortion. Meanwhile, Trump has floated Vance and Rubio as a possible 2028 ticket.
