First Up: Ron DeSantis still deflecting questions on White House run

Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to happily evade questions about his presidential ambitions (or lack thereof). He appeared Sunday on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, a day after he visited Iowa (“Awkward, but still winning the crowd,” the New York Times declared). He promoted his new book, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival.” 

“Governor, you made a stop in Iowa (Friday). … Was this the first indication that you are running for president?” Bartiromo asked, giving the governor a chuckle. “It's the first indication that we've got a great book that people are buying,” he said, smiling. “We had a lot of interest. (Republican) Gov. Kim Reynolds is a friend of mine,” giving her administration a thumbs up. 

Later, he added that he “got a great response across two different cities (referring to Davenport and Des Moines). And I think it's just people look and see, you know, we have a deficit of leadership in this country. … When you lead and people know where you stand and you deliver results, they don't even have to agree with you all the time. They'll respect that and they know they can count on you.”

Meantime, Bloomberg News reported this weekend that DeSantis’ advisers “are talking to Republican operatives about joining his team to work in Iowa … (which) coincided with his debut swing through Iowa, just days before former President Donald Trump makes his first trip to the state as a declared 2024 candidate.”

– Jim Rosica