Ron DeSantis Privately Saying He’s Running for President in 2024, Per Washington Post Report

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is privately saying he intends to run for president in 2024, according to a new report.

DeSantis has played coy about his intentions in 2024, but he’s been floated by numerous Republicans as a likely candidate. He also recently released a memoir, the timing is perfect should his current press tour end with an official announcement. Former President Donald Trump already announced he’s running again and he’s spent plenty of time already targeting DeSantis.

The Washington Post’s Hannah Knowles and Isaac Stanley-Becker reported that DeSantis has privately acknowledged his 2024 campaign, citing two people familiar with the governor’s conversations.

From the Post:

The public and private movements underline how far along DeSantis and his allies are in their preparation for the 2024 campaign, even as the Florida governor has not said publicly that he will enter the race.

Allies do not expect him to announce a run until after the Florida state legislative session ends in May. But in recent conversations, DeSantis has described his presidential plans without any caveats that would suggest he’s still deciding, according to the two people familiar with his comments who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private remarks.

In a recent interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, DeSantis was pressed on whether he would run for president in 2024 or sometime after, but the Republican side-stepped the question. Kilmeade teased part of the interview, which included him and the governor tossing a baseball back and forth, on Friday. The entire interview will air on Kilmeade’s One Nation over the weekend.

“You’re a goal-oriented guy. If not this time to run for president, would you think at some time it’s safe to say that [running for president] would be one of your goals?” Kilmeade asked.

“I only do stuff if I [think] there [is] a rationale for me to accomplish things on behalf of the people,” DeSantis said. “As governor, and if you’re a determined executive, you can make things happen and we’ve done that in Florida, but we’ve always got a strategy for what we’re doing and we’re always working hard to advance the ball.”

Watch above via Fox News