Ron DeSantis is an American politician who formerly served as the US representative for Florida’s 6th congressional district and is currently the Governor of Florida. A former Navy lawyer, DeSantis is an alumnus of Yale University and Harvard Law School. A conservative Republican and a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump, he courted public interest during the 2016 election with his arguments on the Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference with the American presidential elections.
DeSantis Served In The JAG Corps After Graduating From Law School
He graduated from Dunedin High school in 1997 and later bagged a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University in 2001. He further attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 2005 with a J.D.
Prior to the year he graduated from Harvard, Ron DeSantis received an assignment to Judge Advocate General Corp’s (JAG) and also a reserve naval officer commission. He completed his U.S Naval Justice school the same year he graduated from Harvard and also served under the Trial service Office Command South East.
In 2006, he received promotions and was made the Lieutenant (LT), a position that is a step higher from his former position – Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG). Ron DeSantis subsequently worked as a part of Joint Task Force – Guantanamo Commander. He worked directly with detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Joint Detention Facility.
In the following year, the politician was assigned to the SEAL Team that was deployed to Iraq following his obligations to the Naval Special Warfare Command Group in Colorado that period. At Iraq, he worked with the crew as a Legal Advisor. For his performances at Iraq, he was awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal and a Bronze Star Medal. The year 2008 saw to his return to the United States of America where he resumed at the naval region Southeast Legal Service. He was subsequently made a federal prosecutor by appointment.
Ron DeSantis held the position as a Trial Defense Counsel until he was discharged from duty. After his discharge, he was made the Lieutenant, Judge Advocate General Corps in the US Navy Reserve. In 2011, he shed light on his opinions on politics with the release of his book Dreams From Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama. As a result of his excellence in the book, his works appeared in papers like National Review, The Washington Times, The American Spectator and more.
DeSantis’ First Foray Into Politics Was Contesting For A Seat At The U.S. House Of Representatives
DeSantis contested for Florida’s 6th congressional district against the Democratic Party candidate Heather Beaven. He defeated him 57–43%, with majorities in all four counties.
Due to his vast experience in the military, he was appointed chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security. He was also a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on the Judiciary, and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. While in Congress, he was a part of the House Freedom Caucus – a group made up of ideologically conservative lawmakers that in recent times have become a strong legislative support base for President Trump.
DeSantis’s Tenure As Governor Has Recorded Some Gains
DeSantis took the reins of office as Florida Governor at midnight, January 8, 2019, after defeating former mayor of Tallahassee Andrew Gillum at the polls. One of his first actions as Governor was the revamp of the South Florida Water Management District board to tackle rising sea-levels for coastal communities. In a bid to deal with environmental concerns, he signed a $2.5 billion executive order for water projects and Everglades restoration.
He signed the E-Verify legislation, to prevent people who are in the United States illegally from getting jobs. Though controversial, the bill has been seen as a way to show support for the President’s immigration policies at the federal level. As a conservative, he has also signed into law a bill that requires pregnant girls to get parental consent for abortions.
Tenure Has Been Fraught With Controver Surrounding His Handling Of Covid-19
One of the biggest sticking points of his time in office has been his perceived poor handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. At the onset of the pandemic, he had criticized analysts who were of the view that his response to the rising cases was insufficient at best. As Florida delayed its lockdown, cases rose and by the last week of March, the confirmed cases in Florida had risen to 6,741 and yet, there was no directive from the Governor to lock down the state. Finally, on April 1, he asked residents of Florida to stay home for 30 days, making an exception for essential services.
Governor DeSantis partially lifted the order in early June, a move that raised eyebrows in a few quarters. After the ban was partially lifted, Florida recorded an upsurge in cases in the following weeks. Cases in Florida have since soared, overtaking New York as the epicentre of the viruses outbreak.
Opinion polls in the state have shown that a majority of the residents are concerned about his response to the crisis. The perception is that he (like many other Republican bigwigs) has struggled to balance the need to contain the virus against the need to open up the economy and prevent a total loss of economic viability and activity.
Ron DeSantis Is Married To Former TV Host Jill Casey
Jill Casey DeSantis is the wife of Ron DeSantis and First Lady of Florida. She formerly worked as an American news and conversation television show host in the Jacksonville, Florida. Also, she served as a co-host for the show First Coast Living.
She is perhaps the most active First Lady in Florida history with her involvement in causes close to her heart. One of these has been mental health concerns within the state for which she has set up initiatives to increase awareness.
Ron and Casey tied the knot sometime in 2010. The couple initially resided in Ponte Vedra Beach before moving to Palm Coast. Together, they share a daughter named Madison DeSantis and a son, Mason DeSantis.
