Though Ron DeSantis is releasing his new book – which he calls “Florida’s Blueprint” – tomorrow as a vehicle for his 2024 aspirations, he’s already revealed his true guide for governing: an extreme agenda that puts the MAGA base, his own ambitions, and his ultra-wealthy donors ahead of Floridians.

Even before becoming governor of Florida, DeSantis’s time in Congress was defined by his ties to the far right – from helping found the House Freedom Caucus to calling for cuts to Social Security and Medicare – a precursor to the MAGA agenda to come. 

CNN: “[DeSantis] rode into Congress during the Tea Party era, joined the House Freedom Caucus and then allied with the Trump wing of the GOP amid his ascent to the Florida governorship.”

CNN: “A CNN KFile review of comments from DeSantis’ 2012 congressional campaign found he repeatedly said he supported plans to replace Medicare with a system in which the government paid for partial costs of private plans or a traditional Medicare plan. In one interview with a local newspaper, DeSantis said he supported ‘the same thing’ for Social Security, citing the need for ‘market forces’ to restructure the program.”

By signing into law an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and pledging to go even further, DeSantis has made clear that anti-abortion extremism is a top priority.

Florida Politics: “Gov. DeSantis ‘ready to sign’ abortion ‘heartbeat bill’”

Tallahassee Democrat: “DeSantis in his 2018 campaign for governor said during the Republican primary that he would support a law banning abortion when a fetal heartbeat is thought to be detected, usually around six weeks.”

Handing out billions in tax giveaways to ultra-wealthy corporations and his billionaire donors is essential to DeSantis’s blueprint.

Orlando Sentinel: “The package doesn’t provide direct relief for the millions of Floridians who have seen their rent go up astronomically in recent years. Instead, it relies on a trickle-down approach by giving tax incentives to developers in exchange for lower-than-market-value rental rates on their projects. The proposal comes as Florida renters saw rates jump 21% from 2020 to 2021 and continue to rise through most of 2022.”

Miami Herald: “It’s unclear if any of the changes will lead to lower rates any time soon for Floridians, who are paying the highest homeowners insurance premiums in the nation. But hundreds of thousands of homeowners covered by state-run Citizens Property Insurance are almost guaranteed to end up paying more.”

Seeking Rents: “Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled state Legislature teamed up to pass a pair of bills that made it easier for billionaires to hide their fortunes from the outside world — and from federal taxes.”

Next up on the DeSantis agenda? Pushing to make it easier for criminals to carry weapons.

Tallahassee Democrat: “Florida looks bound to soon allow people to carry guns without the need for a concealed weapons permit, a showcase, pro-gun move demanded by Gov. Ron DeSantis before his widely expected run for the Republican presidential nomination.”

Florida Sheriff John Mina: “As a law enforcement officer who has been serving this community for over 30 years, I vehemently oppose any type of permitless or open-carry legislation. I’m not alone. Many law enforcement leaders — even in states that allow it — oppose this senseless idea.”

Meanwhile, working families are being crushed under skyrocketing health care and property insurance costs in the state, but DeSantis has sat on his hands.

Spectrum News 13: “Studies show Florida hospital bills rank among the highest in the nation”

WUSF: “Study finds employees in Florida pay among the highest rates for health insurance”

Florida Politics: “As many as 1.75 million Floridians could lose Medicaid coverage once the state begins taking steps on April 1 to return its Medicaid program to pre-pandemic levels.”

WFLA: “Speaking with WFLA.com, Rollins said in the past three years, policy rates have gone up 100% for Floridians, and the rate increases aren’t stopping. He said the industry, as well as various state officials, are expecting premiums to go up between 40% to 50% or more in June.”