Ron DeSantis: podcast appearances and interviews

Ron DeSantis is an American politician, attorney, and former naval officer serving as the 46th governor of Florida since 2019. He previously served as a U.S. representative for Florida's 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2018. DeSantis was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and holds degrees from Yale University and Harvard Law School. After completing his education, he joined the U.S. Navy in 2004, where he was promoted to lieutenant and served as a legal advisor to SEAL Team One. His military service included deployment to Iraq and a posting at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, after which he was appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida. DeSantis was elected to Congress in 2012, re-elected in 2014 and 2016, and was a founding member of the Freedom Caucus. He was an ally of President Donald Trump and briefly ran for the U.S. Senate in 2016 before withdrawing. In 2018, he secured the Republican nomination for governor and defeated Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum. During his governorship, DeSantis led Florida through the COVID-19 pandemic and major hurricanes, and enacted legislation including the Parental Rights in Education Act and the Heartbeat Protection Act. He achieved a significant electoral victory in 2022, winning re-election by a large margin. In 2023, DeSantis announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination but withdrew in January 2024 and endorsed Trump.