In the high-stakes battle over federal government funding, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is aligning himself with conservative House Republicans pushing for a tough stance. DeSantis spent approximately 30 minutes on the phone with Representatives Chip Roy (Texas), Thomas Massie (Kentucky), and Bob Good (Virginia) — leaders of the faction advocating for a government shutdown if Democrats don’t concede to hard-right policy demands.
DeSantis’s message during the call was clear: “I got your back. Keep fighting,” according to a source familiar with the conversation. This move signals DeSantis’s attempt to insert himself into the spending dispute on Capitol Hill, likely in an effort to boost his standing among Republican primary voters.
DeSantis has a history in the House, having served three terms and being a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, a hardline conservative group urging House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to take a more aggressive stance against Democrats on spending and other issues.
DeSantis’s involvement in the battle is significant because he is aligning himself with McCarthy’s internal opponents at a time when tensions within the House GOP are at a boiling point. In a recent closed-door conference meeting, McCarthy lashed out at critics, saying, “If you think you scare me because you want to file a motion to vacate, move the fing motion.“*
While DeSantis’s involvement in the spending clash is gaining attention, it’s notable that former President Donald Trump, the GOP’s presidential frontrunner, has generally left McCarthy to handle fiscal matters. Trump has been more focused on pushing for the impeachment of President Joe Biden, which McCarthy formalized on Tuesday after months of pressure from Trump and his allies.
DeSantis’s campaign spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, commented on his involvement, stating, “Ron DeSantis knows that both parties — including the current and previous administration — are to blame for Washington’s reckless spending spree. He is urging congressional Republicans to hold the line in this current spending standoff and end days of rubber-stamping multi-trillion-dollar spending bills that harm the American people.”
It remains to be seen how DeSantis’s involvement in this divisive issue will impact his political standing and his potential presidential aspirations.
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