SURFSIDE, Fla. (AP) — The tragedy in Surfside, Florida, is exposing voters to a different side of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for a reelection bid next year that could propel him into a presidential campaign.
DeSantis is still the conservative populist who rarely parts with Donald Trump.
But unlike the former president, DeSantis is showing he can tone down some of his most extreme partisan rhetoric during a disaster.
In the two weeks since the Surfside condo collapse, DeSantis has stood somberly with local officials, including Democrats, as they assessed the damage. He nodded in agreement when President Joe Biden visited.
And he skipped a rally headlined by Trump.
