| Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters | President Joe Biden is making a big push to drum up support for his $2 trillion national infrastructure package. And he has leaned on a former Democratic primary rival to make the sales pitch to the American people: Pete Buttigieg.
The former mayor from Indiana and presidential candidate is now the secretary of transportation in the Biden administration. This week, I interviewed Buttigieg about Biden's infrastructure plan and what it would mean for Florida. We talked about high-speed rail, the state's pedestrian fatality epidemic and Republican opposition to the proposal. You can read the full interview here.
— Steve Contorno, scontorno@tampabay.com |  | | Five takeaways from DeSantis' Newsmax special | The Rundown: Gov. Ron DeSantis spent Wednesday in The Villages for a town hall-style forum that aired live on the conservative network Newsmax hosted by former White House spokesman Sean Spicer.
It was only a couple weeks ago that Newsmax publicly apologized for perpetuating conspiracy theories about the stolen election. DeSantis appeared on the network on a day when the Republican Party ousted one of their own in Congress because she refused to vocalize those same conspiracies. None of that came up.
Instead, DeSantis spent the bulk of the hour laying out his accomplishments, answering some friendly questions and building his case for reelection. Here were some of the top takeaways from the night.
The reelection pitch.
Each of the Democrats running or rumored to be running for governor have zeroed in on DeSantis' response to the pandemic as his greatest vulnerability. They've depicted him as an anti-science, self-serving, blind follower of President Donald Trump.
"How many lives would have been saved if Gov. DeSantis had listened to the scientists and medical experts, if he had simply promoted mask wearing and social distancing, instead of a political agenda," Rep. Charlie Crist said in announcing his campaign for governor last week.
DeSantis has his response ready, and it's an argument that is at the heart of his pitch for another four years in office. It can be summed up like this: Floridians, are you better off than the people living in states run by Democrats?
"If I had not won in 2018, you guys would be wishing you had the governor of Michigan compared to what we have. We would have had kids locked out of school, we would have the (New York Gov. Andrew) Cuomo nursing home policy," DeSantis said. "They would not have done seniors first for vaccines, and I think we'd have the highest unemployment rate in the country because a California lock down on a service-based economy like Florida, it would have hurt a lot of low- and middle-income people."
The 2024 pitch.
A "Bikers for Trump" ad aired during the broadcast urging viewers to call a number and tell Trump to run again in 2024. It's clear the former president still has his base.
But it didn't stop Spicer and his co-host Lyndsay Keith from leading the DeSantis 2024 hype train. And with so many future primary voters watching, DeSantis didn't shy away from it. He made his pitch to be the front-runner in a post-Trump GOP with this message: Americans, aren't you jealous of Florida?
"All these people are saying hi to me, none of them are from Florida," DeSantis said. "They're like, 'We wish we could bring you back to Michigan.' They look to Florida as really the place to be. So I think some of this is just simply because I was willing to lead. I was willing to cut against the grain. I was willing to challenge corporate media and narratives and really do it in a way that I think had the best interest of my state at heart."
DeSantis still talks to Trump
Noting Trump's new residency in Florida, Spicer asked DeSantis how often he talks to the former president.
"Relatively frequently," DeSantis said, adding they recently played golf together and chat on the phone. They sometimes meet up at events at Trump's South Florida resort, too.
"I kidded him once because he helped me in 2018. In 2020 ... we did very well in Florida. And so at one point, he's like, 'Well, you know, we're even,' " DeSantis said. "I was like, 'Actually Mr President, I think you may still owe me. Let me ask you this: How much has Mar-a-Lago increased in value since I became governor?' " |  | How Casey helps him
It’s well established that DeSantis doesn’t have a large inner circle. It’s essentially a two-person team: him and his wife, Casey DeSantis, with the latter operating mostly behind the scenes. What kind of counsel does his other half bring to the table? Messaging, DeSantis said.
DeSantis met Casey while she was a television reporter in Jacksonville (that’s right, the media DeSantis so often criticizes used to employ his wife). And he has leaned on that experience as a story teller in crafting a narrative around his agenda that he can sell to Floridians, he told Newsmax. He does that by bringing people to his news conferences and bill signings who are affected by his actions. That's Casey's influence, he said.
"She really understands we're in this not just to hold an office, not just because people say you have a title, but what effect can you make in a positive way on people's lives and tell those stories," DeSantis said. "That's really I think what resonates with folks."
Conservative media will prop up DeSantis as he heads toward 2022.
The most difficult question DeSantis faced on the night was if he preferred Disney World or Universal Studios (he went with the mouse ears). Otherwise, DeSantis faced one softball after another and the former college ballplayer kept hitting dingers.
The entire hour was a demonstration of just how expansive the conservative media landscape has become, and how unwilling the hosts are to challenge the Republican Party's rising stars. Instead, Spicer and Keith heaped praise on DeSantis and even plugged his campaign fund. The first audience question came from a former Republican lawmaker.
There are so many opportunities for DeSantis to get out his message — Newsmax, Fox News, OANN, Breitbart — without having to confront an uncomfortable question, and hardly a day goes by that he doesn't take advantage of the free air time. During his first year, DeSantis avoided conservative media entirely. As he faces reelection, that's where he is camping out.
Nuggets of news
DeSantis didn't cover a ton of new ground on policy during his time on stage, but a couple tidbits came out worth highlighting.
Like many Republicans, DeSantis blames unemployment benefits for giving people an incentive not to work. (There's disagreement from economists on this. Read some here and here.) He hinted at a policy that is gaining traction among some quarters of the GOP: instead of paying people who are out of work, give people cash for taking a job.
"I would rather give somebody a bonus for going back to work than pay them not to work," DeSantis said.
DeSantis was also asked if seniors will get first dibs on booster shots, just as they did for the first doses of the vaccine. He doesn't think he will need to do that.
Supply is far outpacing demand for vaccines now in Florida, DeSantis said, and he doesn't see that changing. "If there will be a booster necessary, we're going to be swimming in this stuff going forward." | | | | | | | If you read nothing else this week... | | Veto time. From a $50 million new courthouse in Pinellas County to $500,000 for ZooTampa, at least $245 million in local projects have been approved by the Legislature. Will these projects survive DeSantis’ veto pen?
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| First Amendment folly. DeSantis not only broke from decades of precedent when he blocked all news outlets except Fox News from covering the signing of a voting bill into law. He also may have violated the U.S. Constitution. Read what legal experts told us about the staged event.
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| | Unwanted advances. A Pasco County nonprofit created to help veterans deal with trauma has been rocked by accusations that its founder sexually harassed and abused women who worked there. Times reporter Barbara Behrendt talked to the women. This is their story. |
| | | | | Cheat sheet for the next week | Lawmakers are back in Tallahassee for a special session starting Monday. Look who nabbed a big endorsement from Donald Trump just before it begins.
DeSantis declared a state of emergency in response to the cyber attack on an oil pipeline. Should you go to the gas pumps "just in case"? Only if you want to help cause a gas shortage in Florida, Times reporter Malena Carollo explains here.
Kids 12 and up might become vaccine eligible soon. When is it time to get your child the shot? This is what you need to know. | | | What we're buzzing about |  | Hmm. No fewer than 40 state attorneys general signed onto a letter Monday urging Facebook to abandon its plans to create an Instagram for young children. Florida’s Ashley Moody wasn’t one of them. Why not?
'Most robust plan.' DeSantis signed a landmark bill to tackle sea level rise in Florida. Just don't call it climate change.
Green rush. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz helped set off Florida’s marijuana’s industry. Some of his friends and allies scored big. Read more.
Come sail away. A major cruise line is threatening to skip Florida ports if DeSantis doesn’t back down from his ban on vaccine passports.
All in the family. DeSantis’ latest pick for the board that regulates Florida’s utilities is the daughter of the next Senate president.
All in the family, part II. Lobbyist Ana Cruz, the partner of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, toured Tampa with the CEO of a developer that later won one of the city’s most lucrative construction contracts, the Times found. |  | Headed to court. Black-led organizations are suing to block a new anti-rioting law that they say is really intended to suppress their voices.
You paid for this. Local and state tourism agencies are trying to help spotlight Tampa Bay with a new eight-part streaming series called “Life’s Rewards.” Do you think it’ll work?
$$$. With checks this big coming in, DeSantis will be hard to beat in 2022.
Voucher expansion. Lawmakers approved $200 million for more students to attend private school with public dollars. And now it’s the law.
Gunshine State. Cities and counties could face a $100,000 fine if they attempt to pass regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws under this new law. | | | Get the latest coverage from the Times | | Subscribe to the Tampa Bay Times in print or online to get the full story on local, state and national politics from Steve Contorno and the rest of the Buzz team. | | | | | Out of context quote of the week | | “It goes against everything you guys are trying to change.” Read more. | | | Your Thursday distraction | | A year after ‘Tiger King’ became the unexpected quarantine hit, our reporter Gabrielle Calise caught up with Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin about life after the Netflix craze. Click here to read their conversation. |  | | This week's Buzz newsletter was compiled by Steve Contorno. | | Did someone forward this to you? Get The Buzz in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. | | | | | | Contact us Privacy policy Terms, Conditions & Copyright Standard of accuracy | © 2021 • All Rights Reserved
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