Swamp Monsters
Trump vs. DeSantis—the Greatest Show on Earth (or at Least in Florida)
by Matt Dixon
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Ron DeSantis was struggling through Florida's political wilderness when, in late 2017, Donald Trump extended his hand. Ambitious but charmless, DeSantis was a relatively obscure figure even within his own state's Republican party, and an unlikely pick for the GOP's gubernatorial nomination. But when Trump took to Twitter and praised him as "a brilliant young leader" and "a true FIGHTER," everything changed—for DeSantis, for Florida, and for the country. Today, as Florida governor and a GOP presidential frontrunner, DeSantis sits within striking distance of the Oval Office, and his onetime benefactor has turned into his most formidable opponent. Florida, meanwhile, has mutated from the country's biggest swing state into the stronghold of the extremist wing of the Republican party—a place where COVID denialism and culture-war antics have been battle-tested, and where the nation's political future might just be forged.
In Swamp Monsters, veteran Florida journalist and NBC News senior national politics reporter Matt Dixon pulls back the curtain on the titanic clash between a one-time kingmaker and a would-be king, showing how the battle between Trump and DeSantis has escalated, how it might end—and what it will mean for the country.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
January 9, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781668635445
- File size: 235757 KB
- Duration: 08:11:09
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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September 1, 2023
Back in 2017, when Ron DeSantis was struggling to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Florida, Donald Trump stepped in to praise him. Now, as DeSantis aims for the White House, Trump is his fiercest opponent. Dixon, a veteran Florida journalist and NBC News senior national politics reporter, gives us the full picture. Prepub Alert.
Copyright 2023 Library Journal
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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December 15, 2023
Inside the rise and (likely) fall of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' 2024 presidential ambitions. As the leader of one of the country's most politically divided states, DeSantis has gained (and chased) national attention for his pugnacious attacks on Disney, public health officials, and LGBTQ+ youth. Dixon, a national politics reporter for NBC News and former Florida bureau chief for Politico, doesn't have much to share about his main subject's inner feelings, but that's less a function of the author's reporting chops than DeSantis' notoriously aloof demeanor (he "has a social circle that could fit in the back seat of a Mini Cooper"). Instead, Dixon focuses on Sunshine State realpolitik, explicating Florida's recent political history and DeSantis' skill at strong-arming the state's legislature and leveraging wealthy donors, his constant Fox News appearances, and the early support he drew from Donald Trump. Dixon also has a deep well of sources to explain--if not humanize--the governor. As his presidential ambitions accelerated in 2022, DeSantis sought to brand himself as a "sensible" alternative to Trump, but with Trump leading the race, DeSantis has struggled to separate himself while still kissing Trump's ring. Dixon goes deep on the governor's efforts to land endorsements and find a message that might resonate with voters, which is mainly a chronicle of missteps. (His glitchy candidacy announcement on Twitter was just the start.) Add to that a growing reputation as being a bit odd--Dixon offers a host of details about when DeSantis was seen gobbling down the contents of a pudding cup with his fingers--and DeSantis is unlikely to capture America's heart in 2024. Still, the book is valuable as a time capsule of the right's recent obsession with culture wars and how DeSantis was able to take advantage--for a time. Trump once called DeSantis a "brilliant cookie." Read within to watch him crumble.COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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January 8, 2024
Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s efforts to become the new Donald Trump have set him at daggers drawn with the old one, according to this rollicking debut study of cutthroat Republican politics. NBC News reporter Dixon recounts DeSantis’s career as a Republican congressman and his 2018 election to the governor’s office thanks in part to an eagerly sought endorsement from Trump. Much of the book explores DeSantis’s subsequent courting of Trump’s MAGA base with right-wing populist initiatives in Florida. For example, he largely eschewed Covid public safety measures, and championed laws that banned or cracked down on drag shows, gender-affirming care for youth, and schools teaching LGBTQ issues or material that makes students “feel guilt” about the past. These policies, and his triumphant 2022 reelection, made DeSantis a Republican star and initially Trump’s chief rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Dixon narrates a lively blow-by-blow of that battle to date, with Trump landing most of the blows—including false allegations of sexual improprieties and the coining of the nickname “Meatball Ron.” In Dixon’s well-observed and cutting assessment, DeSantis is “a charmless battering ram” with a “nasally, whiny” voice and a “weird” demeanor. It’s a shrewd and entertaining portrait of MAGA Republicanism.
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