Florida to change law to help Ron DeSantis run for president: report

Republican legislative leaders in Florida are publicly committing to change state law to "smooth the way" for the state's GOP governor to run for president in 2024, Politico reported Tuesday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is reportedly considering joining the race, which already includes Donald Trump.

"Both House Speaker Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples), both of whom were sworn into their new posts on Tuesday, agreed it would be a 'good idea' to make it clear that DeSantis would not have to resign if he wound up becoming the GOP nominee," Politico reported.

DeSantis was re-elected to a second, four-year term in the midterms.

"Florida law requires anyone running for a new office to put in an irrevocable letter of resignation ahead of qualifying if the terms of the two offices overlap," Politico reported. "The law was changed in 2008 to open the door for then-Gov. Charlie Crist to seek the vice presidency, but legislators reversed course four years ago and put back in a place a requirement that someone seeking federal office would have to resign ahead of the actual election."

Trump, who officially resides at Mar-a-Lago, has lashed out at his governor as "Ron DeSanctimonious" and has hinted he has dirt on DeSantis.

"A Trump-DeSantis confrontation would likely split many Florida Republicans, with some, such as Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was part of DeSantis’s 2018 transition team, backing Trump," Politico reported. "Asked Tuesday to choose between Trump or DeSantis, a smiling [state Senate President] Passidomo said, 'What?' Asked a second time, 'Trump or DeSantis,' she again said, 'what?' and then returned to her office.

Read the full report.