Abortion is emerging as a potential fault line in the GOP presidential primary — and a potential liability in the general election. And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis now made clear where he stands on the issue — even if he did so quietly.
On Thursday, DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban shortly after the legislature passed the measure, but he didn’t announce that until late Thursday night, and did so simply with a statement, per NBC News’ Matt Dixon.
“The lack of fanfare around the legislation underscores how tricky abortion politics are for Republicans after the 2022 midterm elections — when Democrats hammered the GOP on the issue nationally — and specifically for DeSantis as he weighs seeking the GOP nomination for president,” Dixon writes.
DeSantis, of course, has not yet jumped into the presidential race. And his delay is concerning some of his allies, who believe he may be losing momentum and losing his opportunity to respond to attacks or organize early, the Miami Herald reports. If he does get into the race, he will face a tricky balancing act of appealing both to former President Donald Trump’s supporters and opponents, per the New York Times.
Meanwhile, DeSantis has drawn criticism from Trump’s son, Donald Trump, Jr., who slammed DeSantis for leaving Florida while his state has been hit with massive flooding. DeSantis returned to the state on Thursday but is continuing his travels. On Friday he is speaking at Liberty University in Virginia, and he’ll also make his first visit to New Hampshire, where he is slated to speak at a GOP fundraiser.
Elsewhere on the trail…
GOP to the NRA: Presidential hopefuls are heading to the National Rifle Association’s annual conference this weekend, even as the organization has been mired in scandal and as the country grapples with recent mass shootings, NBC News’ Jonathan Allen and Olympia Sonnier report.
Deposition Thursday: Former President Donald Trump appeared at a deposition in Attorney General Letitia James’ $250 million fraud lawsuit related to his business.
Gotta have faith: Politico reports on how South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott is trying to leverage his relationship with the evangelical community as he moves closer to a full-blown presidential bid. On Thursday, Scott said while campaigning in New Hampshire he’d back a 20-week abortion ban, but he also did not take a position on medication abortions, per the Washington Post.
Caucus changes: Iowa Republicans advanced legislation mandating in-person participation in the state’s caucus and requiring registration 70 days before the caucus, per the Des Moines Register.
Beehive State buzz: Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson launched an exploratory committee for a primary run against GOP Sen. Mitt Romney, per the Associated Press.
Speaking of primaries: The Washington Post delves into how Republicans are trying to avoid divisive Senate primaries.
Comeback bid?: CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports that former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi is debating running for Congress again against Republican Rep. George Santos.
