By Kimberly Leonard

Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, campaigning in Iowa last month, is attacking Illinois' new law banning cash bail. | AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Greetings from Orlando and happy Friday.  

THE BUZZ — Florida Republicans today will choose if they’re with Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis.

Trump’s allies want to rescind Florida Republicans’ loyalty pledge requiring GOP presidential candidates to support the eventual nominee to be on the ballot for the state's March 19 primary.

The Republican Party of Florida’s executive board will consider the move today, under a motion by state Sen. Joe Gruters that's opposed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' camp. The vote, reported by NBC News, will put the party in the uncomfortable position of choosing between its two Floridians running for president. Both men have seen success in the state: Trump won over the Florida congressional delegation and has a commanding lead in the polls, while DeSantis has more support in the Florida Legislature and raised massive amounts of money for the state party.

Though the members will vote behind closed doors, news of the outcome will make its way to reporters, threatening to broadcast partiality and dissent at a time when the party is celebrating its dominance in Florida. Trump hasn’t agreed to support the GOP nominee, and it’ll be a blow to DeSantis if the party revokes the loyalty pledge — an outcome many board members predicted to The Messenger.

Setting the scene: Few party members would openly discuss the forthcoming vote last night during the annual Statesman Dinner at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, where 800 Republicans packed into a ballroom and dined over an entree of braised short ribs, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Florida Republicans congratulated themselves over avoiding the fate that befell their party nationally when the GOP underperformed during the 2022 midterms, and instead became, as GOP chair Christian Ziegler put it, the “envy of the nation” with its conservative policies.

It “wasn’t just a red wave — it was a tsunami,” Florida House Speaker Paul Renner said, promising, “the best is yet to come” in the forthcoming session while leaving the audience in suspense over what the Legislature might do.

Neither Trump nor DeSantis were at the fundraising dinner, which kicks off the party’s quarterly meeting. But each sent a video message that played over projectors — and the applause and cheering in the room was louder for DeSantis' appearance than for the former president.

Back to business. Today is otherwise going to be a long day of training for Florida Republicans who’ll focus on 2024. Fifteen different committees will discuss strategy on early voting, blue counties, local government — including school-board elections — and election integrity, Ziegler said in an interview.

— WHERE'S RON? Here’s Gov. DeSantis’ expected lineup for today:

• 12:30 p.m. Delivering remarks at Concerned Women for America's Leadership Summit. 
• 1:45 p.m. Appearing on America Reports on Fox News. 
• 5:45 p.m. Joining Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins on Washington Watch. 
• 7:30 p.m. Speaking at the Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit in Washington, DC. 

Then DeSantis returns to Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, where he’ll give a speech at an event with FaithWins and then at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. The event is meant to coincide with the launch of his Faith and Family Coalition with pastors, as first reported by KCCI.

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TODAY — State agency legislative budget requests are due.

NEXT WEEK — Designation ceremony for incoming House speaker Rep. Danny Perez and interim committee meetings for the Florida House in Tallahassee on Tuesday.

COVERED — “Florida health insurance rate better, still lags rest of the country,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders: “The U.S. Census Bureau report estimated that 11.2 percent of Floridians were uninsured in 2022, down from 12.1 percent in 2021.”

UNIVERSAL VOUCHER TALLY — “123,000 new students taking Florida school vouchers, report says,” by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Ryan Daily: That’s an increase from about 170,000 during the last school year.

NEW REPORTS — “FL public universities move to get rid of reports such as race and sex in student enrollment,” by Florida Phoenix’s Christian Casale: “Florida’s public university system is preparing to eliminate reports related to ‘representation by race and sex in student enrollment, senior-level administrative positions, and faculty rank and tenure status,’ records show. In other changes, a Board of Governors regulation would no longer be called ‘Equity and Access.’ The name would be ‘Equal Access and Opportunity.’”

ARRESTED — “Miami Commissioner Díaz de la Portilla arrested on bribery, money laundering charges,” by the Miami Herald: “Miami Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla was arrested Thursday on a host of corruption charges that include bribery and money laundering, throwing a cloud over his reelection campaign and marking a new scandalous chapter for a politician with a decades-long record of controversy from Tallahassee to City Hall.”

What’s known: He’s “accused of conspiring to launder $245,000 in political contributions in exchange for the commissioner’s support on a plan to build a sports complex in the city of Miami, according to the FDLE.”

Rewind: “Alex Díaz de la Portilla’s political career is marked by both power and conflict,” by Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas 

RESIGNED — “Head of Broward College resigns; board delays decision on resignation,” by Miami Herald’s Sommer Brugal: Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile “joins a growing list of Florida college and university leaders who’ve left their posts in the last year after DeSantis appointed conservative board members.”

IRA REPEAL — “Ron DeSantis plans to detail energy policy on visit to oil-rich Texas,” by Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook: DeSantis plans to unveil his proposal during an event in Midland, Texas, on Wednesday while he’s in the state fundraising, and it’ll include a rollback of climate measures that were in the Inflation Reduction Act. “DeSantis is expected to call for ramping up domestic energy production, including increased mining of natural gas, as a way to combat rising inflation … A major thrust of the speech is intended to focus on how energy policy can bring jobs back to the US and will look at the issue through the prism of both the economy and national security.”

CASH FOR COPS — “DeSantis launches billboards in Illinois urging law enforcement to ‘make the smart move’ to Florida,” by Fox News’ Adam Shaw: "Citizenship Matters. Law Enforcement Matters. Make the Smart Move to Florida!" the billboards in the Chicago area read, promising a $5,000 signing bonus.

Former President Donald Trump visits Café du Monde in New Orleans, July 25, 2023. | Gerald Herbert/AP Photo

REBUTTAL — Asked on the Megyn Kelly Show about DeSantis’ comments saying 80 was too old to be president, Trump responded that he would rather be dealing with the age issue than be “a lousy candidate.”

COUNTER — DeSantis took his own swing at Trump over comments he made in the Kelly interview, in which the former president said he didn’t know who gave Dr. Anthony Fauci a presidential commendation. “It literally says President Trump awards commendation. Is this the immaculate commendation or something like that? Did this just happen out of thin air?” DeSantis said on Jimmy Failla on FOX News Radio’s FOX Across America.

DESTINATION MAGIC CITY — The third GOP debate will take place in early November in Miami, a Republican National Committee spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO after the news was first reported by CNN.

The big question is whether Trump will show, though he indicated he would skip all the debates in the Megyn Kelly Show interview that aired Thursday.

The Messenger reported that Trump tried to have the debate location moved, news senior advisors Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said it was “fake” in a statement bashing the story.

ALSO ON TAP — Right around the debate is also when the Republican Party of Florida will host its “Freedom Summit” at the Gaylords Palms Resort in Kissimmee, Fla.

FOURTH PLACE — “Nikki Haley surges ahead of Ron DeSantis in SC poll, but Donald Trump still leads the field,” by Greenville News’ Devyani Chhetri: Trump came in at 46 percent, Haley was second at 18 percent and Sen. Tim Scott edged out DeSantis by just one percentage point, at 10 percent.

BLAME GAME — “DeSantis and Trump campaigns drawn into angry quarrel over private-jet story,” by the Guardian’s Martin Pengelly: The DeSantis campaign has responded to the Washington Post’s story from this week, about undisclosed flights the governor took years ago, by directing media to question Susie Wiles, a senior adviser on the Trump campaign who worked for DeSantis when he ran for governor in 2018.

DeSantis team: “Additional questions regarding events, itineraries and documentation from almost five years ago should be directed to Susie Wiles, the staffer who oversaw such matters prior to her dismissal,” spokesperson Andrew Romeo said.

Trump team: “Instead of pointing fingers and trying to place blame on others — like they have historically done — the DeSantises should take a good, hard look in the mirror to better understand why they chose to act unethically and sell access to their office,” Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said.  

SPENDING BATTLE — Behind the scenes, Ron DeSantis is making things worse for Kevin McCarthy, by POLITICO’s Eugene Daniels: The Florida governor spent about 30 minutes on the phone Wednesday with conservative Reps. Chip Roy of Texas, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Bob Good of Virginia — leaders of the cadre that is pushing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to embrace a shutdown if Democrats won’t agree to hard-right policy demands. DeSantis’ message, according to a person familiar with the call: “I got your back. Keep fighting.”

BIRTHDAYS: Republican Party of Florida Political Director Cody McCloud … Brewster Bevis, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida … (Saturday) Former Rep. Stephanie Murphy … Whitney Ray, media relations director for Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody … WFTV investigative and political reporter Christopher Heath … Former Rep. David Rivera … (Sunday) Orlando Sentinel’s Jeff Schweers … Mary Beth Tyson, photographer

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