Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sounded the alarm Wednesday after Republicans suffered sweeping defeats in Tuesday’s midterm elections, warning the party could be locked out of power in Washington for years.
The outgoing governor didn’t mince words in a Wednesday speech, describing the results as close to an “extinction level event” for Republicans in many parts of the country, something not seen in roughly a century.
DeSantis argued voters weren’t embracing the Democratic agenda. Instead, he framed the night as a rejection of Washington Republicans, who he said lost touch with everyday Americans.
“We knew it could be worse, but I don’t think most of us thought it would be quite this bad,” DeSantis said, calling it probably the worst-case scenario for a midterm.
The governor pointed to a stark map. Once term-limited and defeated officials leave office in January, he said, Florida will be the only one of the nation’s ten largest states under Republican control. He also warned that losing longtime strongholds like Texas threatens the party’s national viability.
DeSantis took aim at several issues he said damaged the GOP brand. He blasted congressional Republicans who voted against releasing the Epstein files, noting Republicans had campaigned on transparency and that the attorney general had promised accountability for those implicated.
He also went after members of Congress who appear to get rich while in office through stock trading. DeSantis questioned how lawmakers with no investment background suddenly begin outperforming Warren Buffett once they arrive in Washington.
But the Florida Republican said the bigger driver was pocketbook pain. He cited mortgage rates above 7%, gas at $4 a gallon and rising grocery prices, calling them the kitchen-table issues that decided the election.
DeSantis was also critical of the candidates his party put forward, saying many lacked a positive case for themselves. He described them as flatfooted and said their explanations simply weren’t landing with voters.
The consequences, he warned, could be long-lasting. DeSantis said it could be two, four, six years or even longer before Republicans regain the unified control of Washington they enjoyed over the past two years.
Still, the governor insisted the situation isn’t hopeless.
“Now it’s going to take a lot of time and effort to rebuild,” DeSantis said, adding that it will not happen in a single election cycle.
He pointed to his own state as the model, arguing Florida shows how Republicans can build a winning coalition.
DeSantis’ remarks come as other Republican leaders, including Vice President JD Vance, offer their own blunt assessments of what went wrong for the party on Tuesday night.
