Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a warning Friday to Republicans heading into next year’s midterm elections, arguing that President Trump’s voter base — while large and politically powerful — includes many supporters who only show up to vote when Trump’s own name is on the ballot. Speaking on “Fox & Friends,” DeSantis said the party must prepare for the possibility that these voters won’t automatically turn out for other GOP candidates.
“I think Republicans have an issue that Donald Trump has created a big pool of voters, but some of them are unique to him, right?” DeSantis said. “So they’ll go vote for Trump, and they’ll vote for all Republicans when Trump is on the ballot. But if he’s not on the ballot, some of them don’t vote.” According to DeSantis, the pattern has repeated itself in every midterm election, where enthusiasm gaps favor the party out of power.
“In an off-year midterm, the party in power’s voters tend to be more complacent,” he explained. “The party out of power, they get upset, right? That’s just the nature of midterms.” DeSantis cautioned Republicans not to assume that districts supporting Trump in a presidential year will automatically deliver victories in the midterms. The enthusiasm that Trump generates is not always transferable, he said.
But DeSantis also made clear that the GOP can overcome the turnout challenge by focusing on strong governance, results, and unapologetically conservative leadership — something he argues Florida Republicans demonstrated in 2022.
The Florida governor pointed to his own landslide reelection, during which he won by an unprecedented margin. “We won by a million and a half votes, 20 points, the biggest Republican win ever,” DeSantis said. He framed the victory as proof that the party can broaden its appeal and drive turnout without Trump on the ballot, so long as its candidates run boldly and deliver meaningful results.
DeSantis noted that Republicans in Florida also flipped four Democrat-held House seats in 2022, boosting the number of GOP members in Florida’s 28-seat House delegation to 20. Secretary of State Marco Rubio likewise secured reelection, defeating Democrat Val Demings.
According to DeSantis, these victories were not achieved by watering down conservative principles. “We did that based on results and substance,” he said. “We did it by flying under a banner of bold colors, not pale pastels.” He emphasized that his administration succeeded by consistently confronting the left and delivering “big victories” for Florida families, taxpayers, and businesses.
“We were sticking it to the left every single day,” DeSantis added. “So, it can be done.”
His message to Republicans across the country was clear: Trump’s movement has energized millions of Americans, but the party cannot simply rely on the president’s presence to drive turnout. Instead, GOP candidates must present a compelling record, articulate a bold vision, and show voters that conservative governance delivers real, tangible results.
With the 2024 midterm cycle approaching, DeSantis’s comments underscore a strategic challenge for Republicans — and a roadmap for overcoming it.
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