Ron DeSantis’ Worldview Won. His Place in Trump’s Party Is Less Clear.

America may look like Florida soon — just without DeSantis, especially with his antagonist as Trump’s new chief of staff.

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Wilfredo Lee/AP

In the ten months since Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crushing defeat in the presidential primary, his biggest critics on the left were clinging to shreds of hope that his relevance and culture-war-focused leadership style was waning. Then came Tuesday’s red wave.

By Wednesday, the formerly Trump-scorned governor was feeling so good about his standing in Republican politics he was publicly pitching a cabinet pick: Joseph Ladapo, Florida’s surgeon general — an anti-masker who advised high-risk populations against getting COVID-19 booster shots — for secretary of health and human services.

But while Tuesday was undeniably a good night for DeSantis, it remains unclear whether DeSantis will have a place in Donald Trump’s orbit.