Casey DeSantis, left, has played a major role in the political fortunes of her husband, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. (flgov.smugmug,com)
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Casey DeSantis — former TV personality, breast cancer survivor, and mother of three — is often described as Ron DeSantis’ “secret weapon.”
Indeed, she has played a big role in DeSantis’ rise to Congress, the governorship of Florida, and GOP presidential contender. But political analysts say Casey DeSantis’ outside role in her husband’s political career is a double-edged sword.
“She is both his biggest asset and his biggest liability. And I say biggest asset in that I think she does make him warmer, softer,” Dan Eberhart, a DeSantis donor and supporter, told Politico. “But he needs to be surrounded with professional people, not just her.
“I’ve heard from staffers frustrated that they think the governor’s made a decision, he talks to her, comes back, the decision is the opposite or different,” he said.
Regardless of who is making the decisions, the DeSantis campaign continues to plummet after a promising start. The latest New York Times/Sienna College poll of likely Republican primary votes shows former President Donald Trump crushing DeSantis, 54% to 17% percent.
Trump benefits from a loyal base, but the DeSantis campaign has stumbled repeatedly in the earlier going. One example: DeSantis’ refusal to go on the attack against Trump. It wasn’t until a few days ago that he started publicly questioning the lies that Trump and his allies have made about the 2020 presidential election’s legitimacy — and Joe Biden’s victory.
