Florida’s First Couple is due for a fresh set of honors this November from a conservative standard-bearer.
National Review is honoring Ron and Casey DeSantis with the William F. Buckley Jr. Prize as “conservative leaders who have shaped our nation.”
The ceremony will be held Nov. 5 in Palm Beach at the Breakers, and it is definitely a big-ticket event.
While $1,000 is the price of admission, especially committed National Review and DeSantis backers can opt for the $100,000 “Buckley Circle” package that promises a “table of ten with prime seating location, member of National Review editorial staff seated at table, prominent recognition in digital program, and trustee reception before the gala.”
The event comes roughly a year before the gubernatorial election that the First Lady has teased running in. National Review has definitely stoked the fires for that potential endeavor, describing her as “a potential gubernatorial candidate who would be, at minimum, formidable.”
“Take the Casey DeSantis Buzz Seriously” advised one article that calls her “awfully darn sharp,” with “retail politics skills are as good as they come” and “high name recognition, and the fundraising machine that propelled Ron DeSantis in 2018 (more than $58 million) and 2022 (more than $177 million).”
The First Couple spoke at a National Review event in March, where Casey DeSantis said “we’ll see” when asked if she would run. That messaging is acutely familiar to Floridians, who have heard it on a number of occasions since.
Since March, Casey DeSantis’ brand has been tarnished by controversies related to the Hope Florida Foundation, the charitable arm of her signature state initiative. Foundation money from a Medicaid settlement was routed toward political committees and weaponized in political ads against an amendment that would have legalized recreational pot.
The Legislature investigated the cash flow to no immediate effect, but the upcoming year’s budget reveals significant defunding for Hope Florida, with money removed for “hope navigators” and the office at large in the ongoing appropriations deliberations.
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