| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | | | Hello and welcome to Thursday. Better Be Good to Me — That didn’t go as planned. Not by a long shot. But that didn’t stop the spin machine from spinning into overdrive. I’ll Be Thunder — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential rollout on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk was a technical and glitch-ridden mess that drew gleeful derision from both the camps of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. The term “DeSaster” started trending on social media. I Don’t Wanna Fight — It was not something that DeSantis — who routinely holds scripted press conference — could have wanted to see. And once it got going it descended into the policy weeds that some called boring. “DeSedative,” tweeted Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, a onetime ally backing Trump. It’s Gonna Work Out Fine — The DeSantis campaign tried to bill it as a sign of success that they “broke the internet,” when in reality a televised public rollout would have likely brought in much more attention. Supporters in DeSantis world said no one would pay attention to the glitches and that donors gathered in Miami for a fundraising session were unperturbed by it all. The team said the campaign raised more than $1 million shortly after the start. We Don’t Need Another Hero — But Erick Erickson, a conservative radio commentator who has been very supportive of DeSantis, put it this way in an email he sent out on Wednesday night: “This won’t matter in two weeks. But it’ll be a major political story for the next few days as DeSantis foes make ‘failure to launch’ jokes and Musk haters ridicule what Twitter has become. It was bold. It turned out to be a mistake. It is recoverable. But it is a reminder that some things should be under full control of the candidate, particularly the launch day.” River Deep, Mountain High — What is true is that the glitches overshadowed DeSantis actually giving a bit of outline of what he would do if he was elected president. While the governor spent more time talking about what he has done in Florida, there were a few items from his lengthy and well-done interview with former Rep. Trey Gowdy and his Twitter Spaces event worth noting. DeSantis, who signed a ban on abortions after six weeks, danced around the question of a national abortion ban. While he said initially “there’s a role for the federal and state” governments in regulating abortion, DeSantis then added that he was fearful of having the federal government dictate policy to state governments. He said it would be an “abuse of power” if a Democrat-controlled federal government were allowed to “override every single pro-life protection.” Private dancer — DeSantis was cautious in his answer about what he would do about the war in Ukraine if he became president. He said he would “like to see a settlement” and that he did not want a wider war. He pledged he would not send troops to fight in the battle between Ukraine and Russia, but then said it was “unknowable” to predict the situation in January 2025. Other comments of note: DeSantis defended crypto and said he was open to debating other candidates. He talked about cleaning house in federal agencies, building a “physical wall” on the southern border with Mexico and pursuing a national voucher program in order to bring school choice to Blue-led cities. Onward then. The campaign announced early this morning that DeSantis would do a four-day 12-city swing through Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina next week that would include “speeches, stops and fireside chats.” — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | | | A message from Airlines for America: Did you know? Every day 800,000 workers make the U.S. airline industry run. Last year, we helped 50,000 new careers take flight -- thousands of new pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and others. In fact, job growth for U.S. airlines in March was three times the overall U.S. job growth – and we are still hiring! Learn more: www.airlines.org/jobs. | | | |  | DESANTISLAND | | OVERLOADED — ‘It turned out to be a mistake’: Botched rollout puts DeSantis on his heels, by POLITICO’s Sally Goldenberg and Meridith McGraw: The risk for DeSantis is the prospect of the botched rollout forming a narrative and cutting against the very argument he is making to Republican primary voters — that he is a competent alternative to the chaotic presidency of former President Donald Trump. The governor has been portraying himself in public speeches and private donor meetings as a controlled, low-drama politician who embraces many of Trump’s policy positions without the trademark unpredictability. But on Wednesday, DeSantis — who fiercely values control — was the picture of disorder. The governor’s team was quick to spin the moment as a sign of unprecedented enthusiasm for the 44-year-old candidate, with hundreds of thousands of Twitter users trying to tune into the event throughout the hour. — Fox News promises not to crash during DeSantis interview, by POLITICO’s Kelly Garrity SIDE BY SIDE — Trump had an escalator. DeSantis had a meltdown, by POLITICO’s Calder McHugh and Stephen Heuser: Both campaign announcements were treated with — to be kind — considerable skepticism. Trump was a strangely angry, 80s-era novelty act expected to fade from the news by December. DeSantis was an awkward Florida conservative expected to fade under Trump’s withering attacks. But if politics teaches one thing, it’s never to underestimate the power of novelty. DeSantis’ move was as unusual as Trump’s — whether it was rightly tuned to the moment remains to be seen (it might have had a better shot without the brutal technical difficulties). One thing is clear, though: Their announcements were as different as any two events in recent political history. The man once considered Trump-lite has, in this one way, completely differentiated himself from his rival.
|  Florida Governor-elect Ron DeSantis (R) sits next to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting with Governors elects in the Cabinet Room at the White House on December 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images | GETTING ATTENTION — “Ron DeSantis joins White House race, tripped up by chaotic Twitter launch,” by Reuters’ James Oliphant, “Five takeaways from a rocky 2024 debut,” by The New York Times’ Jonathan Swan, Shane Goldmacher and Maggie Haberman, “Technical problems mar DeSantis’ presidential announcement on Twitter with Elon Musk,” by McClatchy D.C.’s Alex Roarty, “Ron DeSantis’s 2024 kickoff on Twitter is plagued by technical issues,” by The Washington Post’s Hannah Knowles and Faiz Siddiqui, “Ron DeSantis gambled on Elon Musk and went bust,” by Semafor’s Shelby Talcott and Benjy Sarlin, 55 things you need to know about Ron DeSantis, by POLITICO’s Michael Kruse and Sydney Gold MEANWHILE — In DeSantis’ Sunshine State, life is not all sunny, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout and Sally Goldenberg: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ “free state of Florida” isn’t so cheap to live in. As DeSantis sells his “Florida Blueprint” as a reason for conservatives and Republicans to back him for president, everything is not picture-perfect back home. And his opponents are ready to use it against him. Florida, where unemployment remains at 2.6 percent and jobs are relatively plentiful, is also dealing with a persistent affordability crisis that keeps driving up cost-of-living expenses, especially when it comes to housing and insurance. — “DeSantis Miami event draws protests and attacks from two rivals: Democrats and Trump,” by Miami Herald’s Douglas Hanks
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | GAME PLAN — “DeSantis allies $200 million plan for beating Trump,” by The New York Times’ Shane Goldmacher, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman: "A key political group supporting Ron DeSantis’s presidential run is preparing a $100 million voter-outreach push so big it plans to knock on the door of every possible DeSantis voter at least four times in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — and five times in the kickoff Iowa caucuses. The effort is part of an on-the-ground organizing operation that intends to hire more than 2,600 field organizers by Labor Day, an extraordinary number of people for even the best-funded campaigns." — “A glass of wine and a laughing-crying emoji: Trump team trolls Ron DeSantis launch,” NBC News’ Jonathan Allen — “Elon Musk’s event with Ron DeSantis exposes Twitter’s weaknesses,” by The New York Times’ Ryan Mac — “As DeSantis enters 2024 presidential race, Haley argues Florida governor is ‘copying Trump,’” by Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser — DeSantis needs a new Republican lane. Elon Musk might be paving it, by POLITICO’s Ben Schreckinger
| | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | BUTTON PUSHING — “Trump’s bizarre reaction to DeSantis’ announcement sparks confusion online,” by Fox News’ Thomas Catenacci: “Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Wednesday to blast Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a bizarre post that immediately sparked confusion. ‘Rob, My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!), yours does not! (per my conversation with Kim Jung Un, of North Korea, soon to become my friend!),’ Trump said in the post. The comment came after DeSantis formally announced his presidential campaign on the Twitter 'Spaces' platform. However, the announcement was marred by a series of technical difficulties that caused the event to be delayed by at least 30 minutes.” ‘THEY ALWAYS GET MORE EXTREME’ — “The deepening radicalization of Donald Trump,” by The Washington Post’s Isaac Arnsdorf, Josh Dawsey and Adriana Usero: “On this and a host of subjects, from sexual assault to foreign and domestic policy, Trump’s positions have become even more extreme, his tone more confrontational, his accounts less tethered to reality, according to a Washington Post review of Trump’s speeches and interviews with former aides. Where he was at times ambiguous or equivocal, he’s now brazenly defiant.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | IN PLACE — DeSantis signs bill that makes his presidential run easier, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday flicked away a nagging threat to his emerging campaign for president by signing into law a measure that makes it clear he does not have to resign his current position as governor. The change to Florida’s resign-to-run law, which had garnered a ton of debate and legal theorizing in the last few months, was part of a larger overall elections bill approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature that has drawn the scorn of Democrats and voting rights groups who have labeled it “voter suppression.” To court — Two lawsuits were immediately filed in federal court challenging the law. One was filed by the League of Women Voters of Florida, while a coalition of several groups, including the Florida state branch of the NAACP, also filed a legal challenge. They took aim at several portions of the bill that placed new restrictions and increased fines on groups that register new voters.
| | | | A message from Airlines for America:   | | | ‘PRETTY SURPRISED IT WASN’T INCLUDED’ — “How conservative activists worked to kill an effort to protect Florida election workers from harassment,” by CNN’s Fredreka Schouten: “Florida lawmakers were poised this year to protect election workers from harassment. Then, conservative ‘election integrity’ activists worked to kill the effort. Emails obtained by the investigative group Documented through public record requests – and provided to CNN – show how leaders of a coalition called Florida Fair Elections raised objections to language that sought to make it a third-degree felony to harass or intimidate election workers with the intention of interfering with their duties. Within weeks of the group’s lobbying effort, Florida’s Republican-controlled state legislature had stripped the provision from a broad elections bill that passed late last month, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Wednesday.” — “Florida NAACP to lead 15-city ‘Stay Woke’ tour, voter push,” by Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner — “Shadow groups played heavy role in Tampa council attack mailers,” by Tampa Bay Times’ William March — “Yes, that was a Moskowitz for Congress T-shirt for sale at Marshalls. It wasn’t supposed to be,” by South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Anthony Man
| | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | HMM — “Florida regulators warned of insurance company manipulations years ago,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Lawrence Mower: “[Rod] Buvens’ 2019 case is the earliest known accusation that an insurance company manipulated a homeowners’ assessment to reject or lowball a claim, a potential felony under state law. The case, which came out in a civil lawsuit, was reported in 2021 to the Department of Financial Services, the state agency that investigates insurance fraud. But state investigators quickly dismissed the complaint without interviewing Buvens. A spokesperson for the head of the agency, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, said it was closed “due to lack of participation by witnesses.” Yet that claim was refuted by Buvens in repeated follow-up emails to his office.”
| | | | A message from Airlines for America: Did you know? U.S. airlines are proud to employ their largest workforce in more than 20 years – 800,000 workers strong! We are constantly working to secure a pipeline of new employees – pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and others – and strengthening our recruiting efforts to ensure we have the right people in the right place to meet the growing demand for air transportation across the country and around the globe. This is why U.S. airlines are investing heavily in our employees and offering quality jobs with wages above the U.S. private sector average. In 2022, airlines helped 50,000 new careers take off – and we are still hiring! Learn more about U.S. airline jobs at www.airlines.org/jobs. | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | ‘HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT’ — “Inside the Florida group pushing to slash food stamp rolls nationwide,” by NBC News’ J.J. McCorvey: “We’ve been hiding in plain sight all along,” Tarren Bragdon said of his 12-year-old nonprofit group, the Foundation for Government Accountability. The Naples, Florida-based think tank has been publicly cheerleading GOP efforts to tighten work requirements for food stamps and Medicaid as part of high-wire debt ceiling talks in Washington. But without the clout or funding of major conservative K Street institutions that also support shrinking the federal safety net, the FGA has largely pursued a state-level strategy that has been quietly racking up wins. ‘GUTTED’ — “Poet speaks out after Miami-Dade school bars elementary schools from reading her poem,” by Miami Herald’s Omar Rodríguez Ortiz and Sommer Brugal: “A nationally known poet said Tuesday she is ‘gutted’ after learning that a school in Miami-Dade barred elementary school children from reading her poem and three other library titles following the complaint of a parent. Amanda Gorman — the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history — recited the poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Jan. 20, 2021. Gorman, now 25 and a Harvard graduate, is an award-winning writer based in Los Angeles. ‘Book bans aren’t new,’ said Gorman, in a statement shared on Twitter. ‘Often all it takes to remove these works from our libraries and schools is a single objection.’” — “A Miami-Dade school flagged her poem. The county’s mayor invited her to read it,” by Miami Herald’s Douglas Hanks
|  National youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman recites her inaugural poem during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. | Patrick Semansky/AP Photo | — “New Florida rule requires school districts to track book challenges,” by News Service of Florida’s Ryan Dailey — “‘It’s not for everybody’: Python hunters look ahead to this year’s annual challenge,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Abigail Hasebroock — “Miami mayor cancels appearance as controversy swirls over private work for developer,” by Miami Herald’s Joey Flechas
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | — “Alligator eats man’s arm during attack in Port Charlotte, victim survives to tell his story,” by NBC 2’s Gage Goulding: “An alligator attacked a man in Port Charlotte early Sunday morning, tearing off the man’s arm. Jordan Rivera, 23, fell into a pond behind Banditos Bar off S. McCall Road near closing time. That’s when the gator attacked the Englewood man, biting off his right arm in the process. ‘Those gators, I didn’t truly understand them until I woke up in the hospital and, ‘Oh, gator got your arm,’ Rivera told NBC2 from his hospital bed in the ICU at Gulf Coast Medical Center. Thirty-six hours after the attack, Rivera invited NBC2 to share his story of survival. ‘I didn’t lose my life, I lost an arm, it’s not the end of the world, you know,’ said Rivera.”
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