{"id":2699715,"date":"2026-11-06T00:16:01","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T05:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantiss-unconvincing-iran-flip-flop\/"},"modified":"2026-11-06T00:20:54","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T05:20:54","slug":"desantiss-unconvincing-iran-flip-flop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantiss-unconvincing-iran-flip-flop\/","title":{"rendered":"DeSantis\u2019s Unconvincing Iran Flip-Flop"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">8<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdesantiss-unconvincing-iran-flip-flop%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2699715&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Republicans suffered major midterm losses seen as a rebuke of Trump, leaving Democrats with congressional control. Ron DeSantis has criticized the administration-especially the Iran war and rising gas prices-to position himself for a 2028 run, but his credibility is shaky. He previously backed strong actions against Iran, supported Israel robustly, praised Operation Epic Fury, and softened non\u2011interventionist comments after donor pushback. DeSantis may pivot again, hoping to distance himself from the administration and appeal to voters seeking a different direction, yet proving he won\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >repeat past hawkish policies<\/a> will be arduous.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-blog-post__content s-wysiwyg s-wysiwyg--blog\">\n<div style=\"margin-bottom:30px;\" id=\"elevenlabs-audionative-widget\" data-height=\"90\" data-width=\"100%\" data-frameborder=\"no\" data-scrolling=\"no\" data-publicuserid=\"cb0d9922301244fcc1aeafd0610a8e90a36a320754121ee126557a7416405662\" data-playerurl=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/index.html\" >Loading the <a href=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/text-to-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elevenlabs Text to Speech<\/a> AudioNative Player&#8230;<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/audioNativeHelper.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>                            <\/p>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans were eviscerated in an election President Donald Trump and his opponents saw as a referendum on his second term. The outcome bodes ill for the GOP, which now faces strong Democratic majorities in Congress and the prospect of endless investigations and legislative stonewalling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One prominent Republican with an eye for 2028 decided to attack the president\u2019s record just before the midterms. <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/6193617-desantis-iran-war-gop-midterms\/\">In an interview with Stephen A. Smith<\/a>, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lambasted the Iran War and other failures of the administration. \u201cWe just got to be honest. Gas is higher. It hurts people, working-class people, and it\u2019s higher because of this conflict. That\u2019s just a fact,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He continued his criticism of the White House in a press conference after the Tuesday massacre, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/11\/04\/desantis-calls-midterm-bloodbath-an-extinction-level-event-for-republicans-01148705\">chastising the president and the GOP<\/a> for poor messaging and not delivering on their promises.<\/p>\n<p>                         <!-- \/22404337467,3946880\/theamericanconservative-Leaderboard-Top -->                         <\/p>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1742316429780-0' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 50px; max-width: 100%; '>                         <\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s a clear sign DeSantis plans to run in 2028 and wants to pitch himself, once again, as a Trump critic from the right. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Central to that pitch will be the Iran War. Unlike anyone in the administration, DeSantis bears no responsibility for it. He can present himself as a critic, without the awkwardness of having been in the meetings at which Operation Epic Fury was planned. It\u2019s a smart move\u2014but it also contrasts with his past hawkery on the issue. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DeSantis knows he needs to change his tune to be a viable candidate for \u201928. Republicans lost big because of the disastrous war, and many within the GOP base want someone who can deliver the truth. But the governor\u2019s past stances may undermine this pitch. He\u2019s not exactly a consistent non-interventionist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his previous presidential bid, DeSantis sought to distinguish himself as a stronger hawk than Trump on the Islamic Republic. This was a central theme of a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DeSantisWarRoom\/status\/1680992044271955968\">speech<\/a> he delivered to Christians United for Israel in 2023, for example, and it featured consistently in his foreign policy messaging. His campaign website <a href=\"https:\/\/ballotpedia.org\/2024_presidential_candidates_on_the_Middle_East_and_North_Africa\">promised<\/a> to \u201cturn the screws on Iran beginning on Day 1\u2014abandoning the na\u00efve, disastrous Obama-Biden foreign policies.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Florida governor even attacked Trump for offering mild criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu in the fall of 2023, saying it was \u201cabsurd that anyone, much less someone running for President, would choose now to attack our friend and ally, Israel.\u201d DeSantis <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ktsm.com\/news\/us-politics\/the-memo-desantis-sees-opportunity-in-trumps-israel-controversy\/\">made this rift<\/a> a major part of his campaign and kept hammering Trump about it. It didn\u2019t work, with one Republican operative saying it made him \u201clook like members of the Lincoln Project to the base right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DeSantis\u2019s \u201924 bid earned the support of many influencers and commentators who still defend the Iran War. That included none other than THE Iran War supporter, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.semafor.com\/article\/11\/17\/2023\/conservative-talk-host-mark-levin-didnt-disclose-desantis-ties\">Mark Levin<\/a>. Levin\u2019s stepson worked on pro-Israel outreach for DeSantis\u2019s gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. Unsurprisingly, Levin hosted DeSantis on his show several times throughout the primary to discuss the governor\u2019s strong support for Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Much of DeSantis\u2019s online network that was devoted to his presidential campaign is now devoted to supporting the Iran War.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DeSantis praised Operation Epic Fury when it first began, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tampabay.com\/news\/florida-politics\/2026\/03\/05\/ron-desantis-iran-operation-epic-fury\/\">arguing that it was delivering<\/a> justice for Americans killed during the Iraq War. \u201cAs somebody who was over in Iraq at that time, that saw the casualties, that saw that it was the Iranians behind it. They never really faced justice,\u201d he said in March. \u201cNow&#8230; all the ayatollahs are dropping like flies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He <a href=\"https:\/\/floridianpress.com\/2025\/06\/desantis-trump-showed-decisiveness-in-bombing-iranian-nuclear-facilities\/\">also backed bombing Iran last year,<\/a> saying Trump showed \u201cdecisiveness.\u201d He claimed military action against the Islamic Republic was necessary because of the state\u2019s \u201capocalyptic, radical ideology.\u201d The only way to deter the regime was through bombings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DeSantis\u2019s pitch as a Iran War critic will also be hampered by his rabid support for Israel. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flgov.com\/eog\/news\/press\/2023\/governor-ron-desantis-signs-legislation-israel-further-combatting-antisemitism\">famously signed bills<\/a> to target \u201cantisemitism,\u201d in Jerusalem, <em>twice<\/em>. <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/desantis-drones-weapons-shipment-israel-gaza-3fedd0b434552bad313f9109379df071\">He sent weapons to Israel<\/a> during its war in Gaza. <a href=\"https:\/\/floridapolitics.com\/archives\/740170-ron-desantis-argues-the-u-s-wouldnt-exist-if-israel-hadnt-been-the-cradle-of-western-civilization\/\">He has even claimed America wouldn\u2019t exist<\/a> without Israel being the cradle of Western civilization. These opinions are <a href=\"https:\/\/jewishcurrents.org\/the-settlers-man-in-florida\">supported by his pro-Israel donors<\/a>, a number of whom want America to back the Jewish state\u2019s annexation of Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also worth recalling that the Florida governor initially sought to position himself as a staunch non-interventionist in the \u201924 primary, at least when it came to regions outside the Middle East. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/03\/13\/us\/politics\/ron-desantis-ukraine-tucker-carlson.html\">told<\/a> Tucker Carlson in early 2023 that defending Ukraine was not a key security interest for America. But after receiving backlash from donors, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/ron-desantis-ukraine-republicans-2024-f44acc03f772f393b7f8d452ee26508a\">he walked back those comments<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s a chance he could reverse himself again in the \u201928 primary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DeSantis is a smart politician. One doesn\u2019t become the most successful Republican governor in the country without some brains. He knows which way the wind is blowing, and he understands that the Iran War offers an opportunity to align himself with the majority of Americans. It sets him apart from potential rivals currently serving in the admin, who can\u2019t easily shed their association with the conflict. It also differentiates him from Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who is loud and proud about his support for the war. DeSantis has the freedom to openly criticize the war and other admin failures, creating the distance between himself and Trump that may be necessary for any Republican to win in 2028.<\/p>\n<section class=\"c-subscribe-email\" >\n<div class=\"l-container\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__wrap\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__head\">\n<h4 class=\"c-subscribe-email__heading\">Subscribe Today<\/h4>\n<h5 class=\"c-subscribe-email__subheading\">Get daily emails in your inbox<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__form-wrap\">      <!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->      <\/p>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\">\n<form id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" action=\"https:\/\/theamericanconservative.us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe\/post?u=442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8&#038;id=f7b67cac40\" method=\"post\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" novalidate target=\"_blank\">\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__fields\">              <label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"u-screenreader-text\">Email Address:<\/label>              <input id=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__field\" name=\"EMAIL\" type=\"email\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/>              <input id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__submit o-button o-button--red-500 o-button--solid\" name=\"subscribe\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" \/>            <\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n<div id=\"mce-error-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-success-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>              <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->            <\/p>\n<div class=\"u-screenreader-text\" aria-hidden=\"true\">              <input tabindex=\"-1\" name=\"b_442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8_f7b67cac40\" type=\"text\" value=\"\" \/>            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <!--End mc_embed_signup-->          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But he will still face the challenge of convincing the public that he\u2019s a genuine critic of the war and foreign interventionism more broadly. It\u2019s easy to say the war hurt Republicans. Even Vice President J.D. Vance and Trump say that. It\u2019s hard to prove DeSantis will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/health-officials-backtrack-did-they-just-admit-this\/\" title=\"Health Officials Backtrack, Did They Just Admit This?\">avoid similar catastrophes<\/a> as president when he\u2019s on record championing military action against Iran. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That DeSantis can recognize reality and understand the GOP\u2019s predicament are positive signs. The base may be ready for a clean break from Trump in the primary, and someone who vows to keep the good things about the admin and ditch the bad would be a strong contender. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To do so, a candidate will have to convince the public that he will learn from Trump\u2019s mistakes and avoid harebrained foreign interventions. After the midterms, it\u2019s clear voters want a different direction. That\u2019s something even an Iran hawk can recognize.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The election ended with a crushing Republican defeat, seen as a referendum on Donald Trump\u2019s tenure. Democrats now control Congress and face probes and take-no-prisoners gridlock ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Ron DeSantis, eyeing 2028, used the moment to attack the White House, arguing the Iran conflict has driven up gas prices and harmed working people. He criticized the administration again in a post-midterm press conference for poor messaging and broken promises, signaling he plans to run as a right\u2011of\u2011center critic of Trump.<\/p>\n<p>DeSantis\u2019s approach hinges on reframing the Iran War as a key issue he can oppose from the right. He can position himself as a critic without having been part of the decision-making process, a smart pivot that could set him apart from other potential rivals. But his own past hawkish record complicates this image.<\/p>\n<p>During his prior presidential bid, DeSantis portrayed himself as tougher on Iran than Trump and repeatedly stressed a hard-line stance, promising to \u201cturn the screws\u201d on Iran and criticizing Trump for not being tough enough on Israel. He even backed aggressive actions like Operation Epic Fury and advocated bombing Iran to deter what he called an apocalyptic ideology. He drew support from Iran War proponents, including Mark Levin, and built a campaign network around that message.<\/p>\n<p>His strong pro\u2011Israel credentials-signing anti-Semitism measures in Jerusalem, supplying weapons to Israel, and praising its central role in Western civilization-remain central and are backed by donors who favor a hard line on Israel, including possible annexation moves in Gaza and the West Bank.<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, he tried to present himself as a non-interventionist outside the Middle East, suggesting defending Ukraine wasn\u2019t a key US interest, but backtracked after donor pressure. He may shift again in 2028.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, DeSantis is a savvy politician who recognizes the Iran War as a chance to broaden appeal beyond Trump\u2019s base. He can critique the administration\u2019s failures while distancing himself from the decision-making circle, a contrast that could help him win in 2028.<\/p>\n<p>However, he\u2019ll need to convince voters that he\u2019s genuinely opposed to war and broader interventionism and that he learned from Trump\u2019s missteps. Post-midterms, the public seems hungry for a new direction, a reality even Iran hawks acknowledge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4482,"featured_media":2699716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2270253813-scaled.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[548],"tags":[20973,50462,57398,35285],"class_list":["post-2699715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservative-news-daily","tag-flip-flop","tag-foreign-policy-2","tag-iran-policy","tag-ron-desantis"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GettyImages-2270253813-scaled.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2699715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2699715"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2699715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2699719,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2699715\/revisions\/2699719"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2699716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2699715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2699715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2699715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}