Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back Friday against a report suggesting he is laying the groundwork for another White House run in 2028, accusing The Washington Post of inventing claims that he had begun contacting political consultants about a possible campaign.
“The Washington Post is fabricating this out of whole cloth,” DeSantis wrote on X. “I have not reached out to anybody about running for anything.”
“Just another pathetic attempt to garner clicks. Using anonymous sources of course!” he added.
The Washington Post reported Friday, citing three individuals familiar with his plans, that DeSantis was preparing to pursue the Republican presidential nomination in 2028.
According to the newspaper, DeSantis — who ended his 2024 presidential bid unsuccessfully and will be barred from seeking another term as governor after 2026 — had contacted at least one national political consultant about potentially joining a future campaign effort.
The Post also reported that a federal super PAC affiliated with DeSantis sent a fundraising text earlier this week.
DeSantis continued to reject the report while responding to users on social media.
After one user said they hoped the newspaper’s account was accurate, the governor replied that he was “sorry to disappoint.”
He also addressed a user’s suggestion that political consultants might have invoked his name to generate publicity.
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“Probably the case. But maybe just made up by WaPo,” DeSantis wrote.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis accused The Washington Post of “fabricating this out of whole cloth” after the paper reported that he was preparing for a 2028 presidential campaign. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The speculation about DeSantis’ political ambitions emerged days after Republicans suffered sweeping losses in the midterm elections, surrendering control of both chambers of Congress and several longtime Republican strongholds.
Florida nevertheless remained a bright spot for the GOP, as Republican Byron Donalds won the governor’s race.
“This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans,” DeSantis said Wednesday, noting that Florida would be the only one of the nation’s 10 most populous states where Republicans still controlled the state government.
DeSantis previously competed for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, but ended his campaign in January 2024 following the Iowa caucuses and endorsed Donald Trump.
The governor, who is set to leave office in January, has not ruled out seeking the presidency again.
Fox News Digital contacted DeSantis’ office and The Washington Post for comment.