'Losing his grip': Ron DeSantis says he doesn’t listen to criticism amid new backlash

Ron DeSantis denied Thursday that he is “losing his grip on Florida” amid the backlash against his administration’s proposal to build golf courses, hotels, and other projects in Florida state parks. Passidomo maintained that the Legislature’s relationship with the governor has been “very collaborative,” and Pizzo doubted there will be an “all-out assault” against the governor but added that the Legislature feels a little more comfortable “stretching its elbows out in the aisle.” Among those who rejected the proposal are Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, both Republican members of the independently elected Florida Cabinet, who help manage state lands along with DeSantis. “We’ve worked with people like and the Legislature very well, and I think we’ll continue to do that, but we’re going to continue to be very, very successful,” DeSantis said. He called 2022 a “high water mark,” and said, “We’ll see how 24 plays out, but I think it’s going to be a good year.” Similar predictions of “ the fever breaking” following a raft of culture-war initiatives as DeSantis pursued his abortive campaign for president have surfaced following the primary elections last week in which, of the 24 school board candidates DeSantis endorsed, six won, seven will face runoffs in November, and 11 lost.