Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed questions about potential 2028 plans during an appearance on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus on Thursday.
“I think it’s too soon but those concerns that I mentioned are things that certainly I’m thinking about and we do have other candidates that may run,” DeSantis answered when direct asked whether he was considering a presidential bid in 2028. DeSantis then turned to the post-midterm environment, in which Democrats gained significant majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate.
“But, you know the Democrats are in a position where they have a lot more power than they did. I do think they’re going to overreach. I do think the Democrat primary will turn into a clown show,” the governor continued. “We better hope it does because if they actually behave themselves it’d be more difficult for us. So hopefully they go too far left and give Republicans an opening both in Senate, House, and in presidential.”
POLL: Will America Regret Giving The Democrats Power?
🚨 NOW: Gov. Ron DeSantis says he expects the 2028 Democratic primary to become a CLOWN SHOW which might help Republicans win
Q: Are you thinking about 2028?
DESANTIS: “I think it’s too soon…we do have other candidates that may run. But the Democrats have a lot more power… pic.twitter.com/402A9h2qoB
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 12, 2026
The remarks form part of a series of media appearances DeSantis has made since Election Day. Republican candidates lost ground in multiple states that have recently favored the party, including Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Florida, however, remained under Republican control in key statewide contests. DeSantis is term-limited and is scheduled to leave the governor’s office in January 2027, at which point he will be succeeded by U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
DeSantis previously sought the Republican nomination in 2024 and has not yet given any formal indications about running again in 2028. Earlier in November he publicly rejected a Washington Post report that said he had contacted a political consultant about a prospective campaign, writing that the paper was “fabricating this out of whole cloth” and that “I have not reached out to anybody about running for anything.”
In other interviews since the midterms, DeSantis has stressed that Republicans need to examine the results in detail. This includes the war in Iran and associated economic pain, which were cited as massive factors in midterm elections exit polls.
He has also noted that any Republican candidate who can win in 2028 will almost certainly be facing a Democrat-controlled Senate, which will severely degrade a Republican president’s ability to govern effectively.
Political observers and election analysts have continued to list DeSantis among possible Republican contenders for 2028, citing Florida’s performance relative to other states and his record as governor. Other names frequently mentioned include Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, none of whom have formally entered the race.
