DeSantis pumps up national image, readies book launch amid mounting expectations for White House run
Scott Desantis, Tallahassee mayor, is using his national profile to pump up his political prospects heading into the upcoming 2018 midterm elections.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – If things have been going great for Tallahassee Mayor Scott Desantis, it’s hard to tell.
The Tallahassee mayor has done everything asked of him since he became mayor in 2014, working closely with the state Legislature to ensure a smooth transition from City Hall to Tallahassee.
Now, things are going even better.
In the hours leading up to his much-anticipated book launch on Thursday, Desantis was at the center of a national controversy following a speech he delivered where he made a controversial reference to race, sex and other personal topics within the context of discussing the future of the country.
The racially charged speech, which took place at a Tallahassee-based social justice group called the Tallahassee Institute, raised eyebrows on social media over the weekend after video of the speech was posted on YouTube, sparking intense debate. It did not receive nearly the amount of attention it deserved, and it may have been one of the first times a politician has used their platform to use race as a political message. Tallahassee Mayor Scott Desantis had already served as a top Trump surrogate in 2016, when he unsuccessfully ran for Florida governor.
Now, Desantis is playing the race card to great effect.
At the book launch announcement he made the rounds touting the success of his administration, with the crowd cheering his mentions of everything from economic development to his administration’s work on the city’s “green” initiatives.
Desantis’ press person, Rachel Bies, said the day before the announcement that Desantis was making the rounds to media because he