As it turns out, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis does have experience doing something other than getting owned by a cartoon mouse. And no, we’re not talking about his potential groundbreaking career as a talented drag artist, but his six-year term in Congress. Although it feels like we’ve been stuck with the “man of the people” multi-millionaire Yale and Harvard graduate for years now, he did a lot of other things before becoming one of the most prominent conservative voices in American politics. Here’s a quick rundown.
What did DeSantis do before entering politics?
Upon graduating from his incredibly expensive, prestigious universities, DeSantis joined the United States Navy, where he shot up the ranks to become a lieutenant. Thanks to his liberal elite legal education, he eventually became a legal advisor to the Navy SEALs, who needed all the help they could get because of all the war crimes they liked to commit. He was also stationed at the controversial torture island Guantanamo Bay and later served in Iraq.
When DeSantis returned to America, he was appointed to serve as a special assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. attorney’s office in the Middle District of Florida, which is how he came to be so involved in the state’s politics.
After an honorable discharge from active duty in 2010, he worked as a federal prosecutor, before deciding to run for Florida’s 6th congressional district. He was elected in 2012 and assumed his seat in early 2013.
Ron DeSantis in Congress
During his time in the lower chamber, DeSantis became a founding member of the Freedom Caucus (ironically named, considering how much he likes banning things). Despite the fact he now occasionally spars with former president and mob boss wannabe Donald Trump, while in Congress, he was a staunch supporter of the man who’s currently under indictment for various crimes.
DeSantis also served on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, where he chaired its Subcommittee on National Security. In addition to this, he served on the Republican Study Committee, Foreign Affairs Committee, and Judiciary Committee. He was also a harsh critic of President Obama’s DACA and DAPA acts, fought heavily against legislation to limit the U.S.’s impact on global warming, and famously received a 0 rating from the Human Rights Campaign for his anti-LGBTQ+ voting record.
In 2016, he put his name in the hat to become a U.S. senator for Florida, but when fellow GOP member and spineless Trump sycophant Marco Rubio decided to seek reelection, DeSantis withdrew.
In 2018, he won the Republican nomination for Governor of Florida. In the actual election, he just about squeaked past the Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum, winning by 0.4 percent. Despite the closeness of the election, DeSantis did not suggest foul play, nor that a recount was needed.