In an unusual display of introspection this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis publicly admitted what many within his political circle have been advising him since before his presidential campaign began. “I should have been more proactive with the media,” DeSantis confessed to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.
This candid admission sheds light on the sudden shift in DeSantis’ media engagement strategy in recent months. After initially keeping mainstream media at a distance, DeSantis is now seemingly willing to engage with any available media outlet. This change coincides with his growing feud with conservative media, particularly Fox News, which he accuses of biased coverage favoring his main rival, former President Donald Trump.
Behind the scenes, many of his long-term advisors and allies are asking: Why did it take so long? Throughout his political career, DeSantis has been encouraged to step out of his right-wing media bubble. However, he consistently dismissed such advice, a strategy that seemed to work well for him until his presidential campaign.
Unlike Trump, who strategically leverages mainstream media attention to his advantage, DeSantis initially limited his campaign’s exposure to the most conservative radio and television programs. When his campaign struggled to gain traction, DeSantis was unable to counter the negative narrative due to his limited media engagement, according to Alex Conant, a Republican media consultant.
DeSantis has since learned his lesson and is actively trying to rectify his approach. He has participated in three CNN town halls and made his first appearances on Sunday morning political talk shows. His campaign staff are now regularly available for on-camera interviews, and DeSantis has started welcoming one-on-one interviews at his events.
However, some supporters fear that this change in strategy may be too late. “We faced six months of negative stories,” one person close to his political operation told CNN. “Ignoring national media was a mistake.”
DeSantis’ relationship with the mainstream media has always been fraught with skepticism. Once elected governor in 2018, he largely shut out Tallahassee reporters and rebuffed national news outlets. His early image was carefully curated by his wife, Casey DeSantis, a former news anchor and a more skilled public speaker than her husband. She was instrumental in keeping DeSantis away from mainstream media and focusing on conservative outlets.
As DeSantis’ 2024 presidential hopes fade, he has turned against the conservative media outlets that once boosted his profile. He has accused Fox and others of failing to challenge Trump on his pandemic record and abortion views. He also suggested that Trump got away with “gaslighting” the GOP field at a recent Fox News town hall.
The breakdown in the DeSantis-Fox relationship is a surprising casualty of the Republican presidential contest. Fox played a crucial role in propelling DeSantis from a relatively unknown congressman to a serious presidential contender. However, as DeSantis struggled to adjust to the campaign trail and Republicans rallied around Trump’s mounting legal troubles, Fox’s coverage shifted, leading to DeSantis’ growing frustration.
Now, DeSantis seems disillusioned with the media landscape that once made him a conservative star. “It’s all a racket,” DeSantis recently said. “They’re trying to get clicks. They’re trying to do all this stuff. There’s as much fake news on the right as there is on the corporate press.”