DeSantis uses diners and drive-ins to reboot image: report
Once aspiring presidential nominee Ron DeSantis, is attempting a political reboot through a food show called "Diners, Drive-Ins & DeSantis."
According to Slate's Luke Winkie, the Florida governor is spending his final months in office touring local restaurants across the state and uploading 9 episodes to X.
The series mirrors Guy Fieri's format, featuring DeSantis in a suit and flag pin reviewing cuisine in nondescript Florida cities while remaining largely nonpartisan. Winkie notes the show reflects DeSantis's newly "defanged" image, projecting an ordinary Republican dad persona through tweets about baseball and Ronald Reagan.
With Trump's influence waning and JD Vance and Marco Rubio competing for MAGA leadership, DeSantis may be positioning himself as an alternative conservative for 2028.
"If DeSantis is envisioning a comeback, maybe he believes that — in 2028 or beyond — America might be ready to once again pull the lever for a boring, polo-and-khakis conservative, rather than whoever can do their best Trump impression," writes Winkie.
Watch the video below.