DeSantis Rejects Washington Post Report on 2028 Presidential Plans

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis denied Friday that he is organizing a 2028 presidential campaign after The Washington Post reported he had begun contacting political consultants.

The Post cited three individuals briefed on DeSantis' intentions and stated he reached out to at least one national consultant regarding a prospective run. The newspaper also noted that a federal super PAC linked to DeSantis sent a fundraising text message earlier in the week.

DeSantis responded to the report on X, calling the story a fabrication created out of whole cloth. He stated he had not contacted anyone about running for office and described the report as an attempt to gain clicks using anonymous sources.

The governor continued to defend his position in replies to social media users. When one follower expressed hope that the reporting was true, DeSantis wrote that he was sorry to disappoint. He suggested to another user that consultants might be using his name for attention or that the newspaper simply made up the story.

The controversy arises days after Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections. DeSantis called the losses close to an extinction-level event for the party on Wednesday. He noted that Florida will remain the only one of the ten most populous states with a Republican-controlled government after Byron Donalds won the governor's race.

DeSantis previously sought the 2024 Republican nomination but suspended his campaign in January 2024 following the Iowa caucuses to endorse Donald Trump. He leaves office in January and has previously indicated he might run again for the presidency.