Former President Donald Trump on Monday said Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis is the one who’s “really running” Governor Ron DeSantis’ “campaign.”
The comment from Trump was meant as a slight, but Governor DeSantis seems to have no problem publicly including and thanking his wife, who’s been called his “not-so-secret weapon” in the media.
Just how important is Casey to Ron’s political career?
A political consultant close to the governor told The Daily Wire that Casey is DeSantis’ “closest advisor” and “probably the only person he trusts.”
“She has a very strong influence, she’s very involved,” the consultant said.
Specifically, Casey is extremely involved with who has her husband’s ear and is looped in on the hiring process. The cancer survivor once asked at an intimate dinner with important politicos for advice on how to hire the right people, the source said.
Congratulations Governor on a historic win for the ages, we are so proud of you! pic.twitter.com/UkY0v14ZN6
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) November 9, 2022
It was well-known in the halls of Congress — back when DeSantis served as a Florida rep — that the Republican would always pick hanging out with his wife over going out with the guys. “He would just hang out with her, the two of them,” the source told The Daily Wire.
I love you, Casey. pic.twitter.com/HKID5TolyM
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) October 10, 2022
A source told Vanity Fair in September that Casey used her “local celebrity” as a TV journalist to bolster DeSantis’ 2012 congressional run, and then became a de facto member of his staff when he won.
“She was looped in on every email and calendar invite,” a former congressional staffer told the magazine.
“Casey interviewed me over the phone,” another staffer recalled. “I met Ron on my first day.”
Casey helped with her husband’s image and DeSantis was offered teleprompter training at her news station, according to the sources.
“The circle of trust [around DeSantis] is very small,” author and political consultant Ryan Girdusky told the New York Post this week. “They don’t have a ton of consultants and Casey is very important.”
Peter Schorsch, publisher of Florida Politics, noted Casey’s background in front of the camera as a strength for the governor.
“We should be celebrating that radiance of an individual who has a history of appearing in front of a crowd with her family and understands how to engage the media in an age of models and the Kardashians,” Schorsch said.
“I hate to say this, but the whole family reminds me of the Kennedys, totally poised and comfortable in front of the camera,” the publisher added.
And as for the governor’s political future — Casey very much “wants DeSantis to run for president,” a source confirmed to The Daily Wire.
