A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Ron DeSantis.
Ron DeSantis is an American politician, currently serving as the 46th Governor of Florida since 2019. A Republican, he previously served as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2018. Before his political career, DeSantis was a naval officer. He was a contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination but withdrew from the race in January 2024.
2016: Rating from Human Rights Campaign
In 2016, Ron DeSantis received a "0" rating from the Human Rights Campaign on LGBT-related legislation.
Share
June 2019: Signed Measure Making Ballot Initiatives Harder
In June 2019, DeSantis signed a measure that would make it harder to launch successful ballot initiatives.
Share
June 2019: Anti-"Sanctuary City" Bill Signed
In June 2019, DeSantis signed an anti-"sanctuary city" bill into law.
Share
March 2020: Initial COVID-19 Handling
In March 2020, mixed reviews emerged from scientists and media outlets regarding DeSantis's initial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Share
June 2020: E-Verify Bill Signed
In June 2020, DeSantis signed a bill requiring government employers and contractors to use E-Verify.
Share
2020: Damage to Christopher Columbus Statue
In 2020, downtown Miami's Christopher Columbus statue was damaged, an event that influenced DeSantis to advocate for the Combating Public Disorder Act.
Share
2020: Republicans Historically Voted by Mail More Than Democrats
In February 2021, DeSantis announced support for eliminating ballot drop boxes and limiting voting by mail. The changes to mail-in voting were notable given that Republicans had historically voted by mail more than Democrats, but Democrats outvoted Republicans by mail in 2020.
Share
2020: Investigated Bloomberg for Incentives to Vote
In June 2019, DeSantis instructed Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to investigate whether Michael Bloomberg had criminally offered incentives for felons to vote by assisting in a fundraising effort to pay off their financial obligations so they could vote in the 2020 presidential election in Florida. No wrongdoing was found.
Share
February 2, 2021: Announced Support for Legislation to Hold Tech Companies Accountable
On February 2, 2021, DeSantis announced support for legislation to hold tech companies accountable to prevent alleged political censorship.
Share
February 2021: Announced Support for Voting Restrictions
In February 2021, DeSantis announced support for eliminating ballot drop boxes and limiting voting by mail, requiring voters to re-register every year to vote by mail.
Share
April 2021: Combating Public Disorder Act Signed
In April 2021, DeSantis signed into law the Combating Public Disorder Act, forbidding intimidation by mobs, penalizing damage to historic properties, and forbidding publishing personal identifying information online with intent to harm.
Share
June 1, 2021: Fairness in Women's Sports Act Signed
On June 1, 2021, DeSantis signed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act (SB 1028) into law, banning transgender girls and women from participating in women's sports competitions in middle school, high school, and college.
Share
June 2021: Led Effort to Ban Critical Race Theory
In June 2021, DeSantis led an effort to ban the teaching of critical race theory in Florida public schools, describing it as "teaching kids to hate their country."
Share
December 15, 2021: Announced Stop WOKE Act
On December 15, 2021, DeSantis announced a new bill, the Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act ("Stop WOKE Act"), which would allow parents to sue school districts that teach critical race theory.
Share
2021: Halted Cooperation on Migrant Resettlement
In 2021, DeSantis halted cooperation with the Biden administration's program to relocate and resettle migrants in Florida.
Share
2021: COVID-19 Death Rate Near Median
In 2021, Florida's age-adjusted COVID-19 death rate was roughly near the median among states, taking into account its elderly population.
Share
February 2022: Support for Parental Rights in Education Act
In February 2022, DeSantis voiced support for the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act (HB1557), also known as the "Don't Say Gay" law.
Share
March 2022: "Don't Say Gay" Law Signed
In March 2022, DeSantis signed the "Don't Say Gay" bill into law, prohibiting discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in school classrooms from kindergarten to grade 3.
Share
April 14, 2022: Signed 15-Week Abortion Ban
On April 14, 2022, DeSantis signed into law a bill that bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.
Share
April 2022: Bill Eliminating Disney's Special District Signed
In April 2022, DeSantis signed a bill eliminating Disney's special independent district act and replacing its Disney-appointed board of overseers, initiating a dispute with Disney.
Share
July 1, 2022: 15-Week Abortion Ban Expected to Go Into Effect
The 15-week abortion ban signed on April 14, 2022, was expected to go into effect on July 1, 2022, but a state judge blocked its enforcement.
Share
August 18, 2022: Enforcement of Stop WOKE Act Blocked
On August 18, 2022, a federal judge blocked enforcement of the Stop WOKE Act as applied to businesses, ruling that it violated the First Amendment and was impermissibly vague.
Share
September 2022: Migrants Flown to Martha's Vineyard
In September 2022, DeSantis's administration flew 50 newly arrived asylum seekers from Texas to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, leading to a class-action suit against him.
Share
2022: Election Police Unit Created
In 2022, DeSantis signed a bill creating an election police unit to investigate election fraud.
Share
2022: Allegations Regarding Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp
In 2022, Mansur Ahmad Saad al-Dayfi alleged that DeSantis oversaw force-feeding detainees at Guantanamo Bay, which DeSantis acknowledged advising on.
Share
January 2023: Supreme Court to Hear Legal Challenge to Abortion Law
In January 2023, the Supreme Court of Florida agreed to hear a legal challenge to the 15-week abortion ban.
Share
March 2023: Considering Further Legislation
As of March 2023, DeSantis was considering further similar legislation for all grades regarding education.
Share
March 22, 2023: COVID-19 Cases and Deaths
As of March 22, 2023, Florida had the 12th-highest rate of COVID-19 cases and deaths per 100,000 people among the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, without adjusting for age.
Share
April 2023: Signed Six-Week Abortion Ban
In April 2023, DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban with limited exceptions, including cases of rape, incest, or human trafficking with proof of a crime required.
Share
April 26, 2023: Disney Files Lawsuit Against DeSantis
On April 26, 2023, Disney filed a lawsuit against DeSantis and others, accusing them of retaliating against protected speech.
Share
May 2023: Plans to Send Personnel to Texas
In May 2023, DeSantis announced plans to send over 1,000 personnel, including National Guard troops, to Texas to help stem illegal immigration.
Share
January 31, 2024: Disney Lawsuit Dismissed
On January 31, 2024, the lawsuit filed by Disney against DeSantis was dismissed, with Disney vowing to appeal the decision.
Share
April 1, 2024: Florida Supreme Court Upheld 15 Week Ban
On April 1, 2024, the Supreme Court of Florida upheld the 15-week ban.
Share
May 1, 2024: Six-Week Abortion Ban Went Into Effect
On May 1, 2024, the six-week abortion ban went into effect after the Supreme Court of Florida upheld the 15-week ban on April 1, 2024.
Share
June 2024: Vetoed Waterway Closure Bill
In June 2024, DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have created a statewide process managed by the Department of Health to issue closures and send warnings if the bacteria in waterways reached unsafe levels.
Share
September 2024: Defended Unit's Visits to Voters' Homes
In September 2024, DeSantis defended the election police unit's visits to the homes of Florida voters who had signed an abortion rights ballot initiative.
Share
2024: Bill signed into law restricting social media accounts for people under 16
In 2024, DeSantis signed into a law a bill that requires social media platforms to prohibit people under 16 years old from making accounts.
Share