Ron DeSantis news – live: DeSantis facing three new lawsuits as Trump takes lead in 2024 GOP race

Ron DeSantis is facing three new lawsuits after he signed a new law just hours before announcing his presidential campaign – legislation which makes it harder to vote in Florida.

The bill allows Mr DeSantis to continue as governor in the Sunshine State as he campaigns for the White House, but it also restricts the use of mail-in ballots, attempts to make it easier to purge voting rolls, and places limits on third-party voter registration organisations, according to Mother Jones.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is leading Mr DeSantis among Republicans in California, according to a new poll.

The former president has the support of 44 per cent of Republicans in the state, while Mr DeSantis has 26 per cent, according to a poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

Three months ago, Mr DeSantis led Mr Trump among likely GOP primary voters in the state by eight percentage points.

Poll director Mark DiCamillo told the Los Angeles Times: “Trump dominates the news, and I think he enjoys that, and I think he gets the sense when he is dominating the news, he’s probably expanding his messaging to his base.”

Key Points

• DeSantis hit by three federal lawsuits alleging voter suppression violate constitutional amendments

• Republican presidential candidates of color largely support DeSantis’ positions

• GOP may have opportunity in 2024 to weaken Democrats’ grip on African Americans and Latinos

• Former Democratic rep slams DeSantis for conflict of interest as his staff solicit donations

• Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

• DeSantis’s rise coincided with large levels of inward migration into Florida

Watch: Biden laughs when asked about presidents pardoning Trump

20:19 , Oliver O'Connell

What do the polls say about DeSantis?

20:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Eric Garcia writes:

Much of Mr DeSantis’s case for being president has focused on electability, with his pitch being that he is the only Republican candidate who can beat President Joe Biden. Similarly, Mr DeSantis has sold himself as a conservative warrior who has passed legislation restricting abortion access and curtailing how sexual orientation and gender identity are taught in schools.

At the same time, his donors argue that his relative youth – at age 44, he is the youngest male governor in the country – as well as his focus on the environment, could help him appeal to moderate voters.

DeSantis for President? This is what the polls say

Key takeaways from Ron DeSantis’ campaign rollout

19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

After a 30-minute delay caused by technological glitches with Twitter’s “Spaces” audio conversation system, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ much-hyped announcement of his 2024 presidential campaign kicked off with a billionaire praising another billionaire.

The first billionaire, venture capitalist and DeSantis booster David Sacks, opened the conversation with fulsome praise for Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX impresario who bought Twitter last year with the aim of allowing unfettered conversations by all sorts of right-wing characters who’d been banned for violating the site’s rules under its prior management.

Mr Sacks then turned to introduce Mr DeSantis, who he said first drew his attention when the Florida governor began attacking public health measures recommended by medical professionals at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

And with that, Mr DeSantis began making his pitch to voters — or at least the voters who are on Twitter and cared enough to listen.

Here are some key takeaways.

Key takeaways from Ron DeSantis’ campaign rollout

New Hampshire Republican switches from DeSantis to Trump

19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

A New Hampshire state representative switched her loyalties from Ron DeSantis to Donald Trump following the Florida governor’s glitch-filled presidential campaign launch announcement.

Rep Sandra Panek was included in a list of more than 50 Granite State lawmakers backing the Florida governor for president earlier this month.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar reports.

New Hampshire Republican switches from DeSantis to Trump

DeSantis raises $8.2m for his campaign within 24 hours of launch

18:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’s campaign team said they raised $8.2m within 24 hours of the Florida governor announcing his 2024 bid for presidency.

A donor making calls in the room first disclosed that the campaign raised $8.2m, and the figure was confirmed by Bryan Griffin, a spokesperson for Mr DeSantis, reported the New York Times.

Sravasti Dasgupta reports.

Ron DeSantis raises $8.2m for his campaign within 24 hours of launch fiasco

Biden invokes late son Beau’s memory as he pays tribute to fallen US soldiers

18:31 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden on Monday said his grief for his late son Beau Biden gives him insight into pain felt by parents and family of deceased US service members, as he commemorated the nation’s honoured dead the day before the eighth anniversary of his son’s death from brain cancer.

Speaking at Arlington National Cemetery just feet from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where unidentified servicemen from the Korean War and both the First and Second World War are guarded by US Army sentries, Mr Biden urged Americans to “never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy” by “those who died so our nation might live”.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Biden invokes late son Beau’s memory as he pays tribute to fallen US soldiers

Memes mock dire Ron DeSantis 2024 launch on Twitter Spaces

18:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis’ attempt to launch his 2024 presidential campaign via Twitter Spaces did not go as planned as the platform faced a plethora of technological issues, prompting a flood of memes and mockery.

Ariana Baio reports.

Memes mock disastrous DeSantis 2024 launch as #DeSaster trends

DeSantis tells Trump: ‘You’ve changed’

17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis has slammed his 2024 Republican Rival Donald Trump, claiming he “is a different guy” than when he first ran for president.

The former president is leading all other Republican candidates for the party’s presidential nomination, with Mr DeSantis running in second place, according to polls.

Graeme Massie reports.

DeSantis accuses Trump of ‘moving left’ as he tells ex-president: ‘You’ve changed’

Cheney explains how GOP begged her to lie about Trump

17:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Former Congresswoman Liz Cheney spoke about the political test she faced in the immediate aftermath of January 6 during her address to graduates of Colorado College this weekend.

Ms Cheney, once a member of Republican leadership and now a pariah in her own party, spoke to graduates on Sunday. She graduated from the school with a degree in political science in 1988.

John Bowden reports from Washington, DC.

Liz Cheney explains how GOP begged her to lie about Trump

Government tries to claw back money so Jan 6 rioters don’t profit from online appeals

17:15 , Oliver O'Connell

An Associated Press review of court records shows that prosecutors in the more than 1,000 of the January 6, 2021, criminal cases are increasingly asking judges to impose fines on top of prison sentences to offset donations from supporters of the Capitol rioters.

Government tries to claw back money so Jan. 6 rioters don't profit from online appeals

Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

16:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Race has emerged as a central issue — and a delicate one — in the 2024 presidential contest as the GOP’s primary field so far features four candidates of color, making it among the most racially diverse ever.

Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt'

16:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Vocal Maga supporter Kimberly Guilfoyle on Saturday claimed that Ron DeSantis would “get hurt and damaged badly” by the Florida governor’s 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump, the father of her boyfriend.

Ms Guilfoyle, who was previously married to California governor and Democrat Gavin Newsom, made the comments on Newsmax TV’s America Right Now.

Sheila Flynn reports.

Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt, and damaged’

Trump hits back at DeSantis comments on Fox & Friends

15:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning and when asked about his chances in Iowa made a specific point of hitting out at Donald Trump, his main rival.

The governor said:

I mean, you know, they had mentioned there may be some differences with me and Donald Trump. And I think that those differences redound to my benefit in a place like Iowa. I mean, for example, you know, he’s taken the side of Disney in our fight down here in Florida. I’m standing for parents, I’m standing for children. And I think a multibillion-dollar company that sexualizes children is not consistent with the values of Florida or the values of a place like Iowa.

Within moments, the former president responded in a post on Truth Social:

Ron DeSanctimonious just stated, without correction on Fox & Friends, that I was “backing” Disney. Wrong! Fox should have read my posted TRUTH on Disney, but that’s not the game they play. Also, in the polls, I am beating Biden by a lot, “Rob” isn’t! Also, WAY UP ON RON. Check out the DeSanctus speech at the Trump Rally I gave to get him elected. Not easy! p.s. I got 1.2 Million more votes in Florida than Ron, a little reported fact!

Mr Trump then reposted a post from yesterday in which he blamed Mr DeSantis for Disney becoming a “Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self”:

Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the “market” will do irreparable damage. This all happened during the Governorship of “Rob” DeSanctimonious. Instead of complaining now, for publicity reasons only, he should have stopped it long ago. Would have been easy to do – Still is!

Don Jr shares doctored clip from The Office showing Ron DeSantis wearing a woman’s suit

15:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Donald Trump Jr has shared a seemingly AI-generated clip of Ron DeSantis edited into the role of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott in The Office in a clip in which the character is mocked for wearing a woman’s suit.

Read more...

Donald Trump Jr shares doctored Office clip showing DeSantis wearing a woman’s suit

Cheney: ‘My fellow Republicans wanted me to lie’

15:16 , Oliver O'Connell

Former representative Liz Cheney called on graduates at her alma mater to engage in politics and not to waver from the truth, recalling her experience of being one of the very few Republicans who fought back against former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Ms Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, lambasted her former GOP colleagues during a commencement speech at Colorado College, Politico reports.

“After the 2020 election and the attack of January 6th, my fellow Republicans wanted me to lie. They wanted me to say the 2020 election was stolen, the attack of January 6th wasn’t a big deal, and Donald Trump wasn’t dangerous,” she said. “I had to choose between lying and losing my position in House leadership.”

“No party, no nation, no people can defend and perpetuate a constitutional republic if they accept leaders who have gone to war with the rule of law, with the democratic process, with the peaceful transfer of power, with the Constitution itself,” Ms Cheney added.

She was a member of House Republican leadership until her continued opposition to Mr Trump’s actions and a vote to impeach him led her colleagues to oust her.

Ms Cheney went on to be the ranking Republican on the January 6 committee investigating the Capitol riot, which in part cost her reelection in 2022.

Trump’s calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him

14:45 , Oliver O'Connell

When Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina launched his campaign for the White House last week, the notoriously prickly former President Donald Trump welcomed his new competitor with open arms.

There were no accusations of disloyalty or nasty nicknames from the GOP front-runner like the barrage he unleashed when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered his leading rival, joined the race two days later with a bungled Twitter announcement.

Read more...

Trump's welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him

Trump slams Disney and DeSantis: ‘A Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self'

14:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump slammed both Disney and Ron DeSantis on Truth Social on Sunday.

“Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the ‘market’ will do irreparable damage,” he wrote.

“This all happened during the Governorship of ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious. Instead of complaining now, for publicity reasons only, he should have stopped it long ago. Would have been easy to do - Still is!”

Texas lawmakers pass bill restricting sexual performance in front of kids

13:30 , Shweta Sharma

Texas’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill that will criminalise public performances of sexually explicit shows by performers as well as businesses, a potential law that drag artists fear will prompt a crackdown.

The bill, which was originally designed to restrict minors from attending certain drag shows, was expanded to remove direct specific reference to drag performers just before an end-of-day deadline.

The bill will now go to governor Greg Abbott who is expected to pass it into law.

The bill would ban real or simulated groping, real or simulated arousal and display of a sex toy, if done in a “prurient” manner in front of a minor or on public property. And it includes a definition of sexual conduct that bars wearing accessories or prosthetics that enhance the female or male form in front of a minor or on public property.

Violators could face up to a year in jail, and businesses hosting performances deemed illegal could be fined $10,000 for each violation.

It comes after earlier this month Ron DeSantis signed a law that would impose restrictions on drag shows, cracking down on businesses that admit children to adult performances by revoking their food and beverage licences.

Trump fumes at his enemies in bizarre Memorial Day message

13:25 , Megan Sheets

Donald Trump marked Memorial Day with a furious Truth Social message that briefly recognised the reason for the holiday before descending into one of his usual rants.

In all caps, the ex-president fumed: “Happy memorial day to all, but especially to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country they love, and to those in line of a very different, but equally dangerous fire, stopping the threats of the terrorists, misfits and lunatic thugs who are working feverishly from within to overturn and destroy our once great country, which has never been in greater peril than it is right now. We must stop the communists, marxists and fascist “pigs” at every turn and, make america great again!”

‘Travel to all areas of Florida should be done with extreme caution'

13:00 , Alex Woodward

The Florida Immigrant Coalition – which launched a website named “floridatraveladvisory.com” – advises people to consult an attorney before travelling or reconsider travel to the state altogether.

“Travel to all areas of Florida should be done with extreme caution as it can be particularly unsafe for people of color, LGBTQIA+ communities and individuals who speak with an accent, and international travelers,” according to the advisory. “Every county in Florida poses a heightened risk of harassment, possible detainment, and potential family separation based on racial profiling.”

‘We are proud to help Texas fight Biden’s Border Crisis’: DeSantis

12:30 , Shweta Sharma

Ron DeSantis said Florida is “proud to help Texas fight Biden’s Border Crisis” as Florida National Guard service members were deployed to support border response.

VIDEO: Ron DeSantis comments on Trump, Republican primary debate in August

12:00 , Gustaf Kilander

‘DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state'

11:30 , Alex Woodward

The DeSantis administration’s migrant relocation programme will get another $12m after the governor orchestrated widely derided flights that sent people seeking asylum in the US to Martha’s Vineyard – hundreds of miles away from where their cases were being considered in El Paso, Texas – in his apparent protest of Democratic immigration policies.

“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” according to Lydia Medrano, LULAC vice president for the southeast. “Food banks report witnessing individuals seeking one last food donation as they prepare to flee Florida. Families are torn apart as some members choose to stay while others have to leave, foreseeing worsening conditions for immigrants.”

DeSantis expands measure prohibiting classroom instruction on issues related to gender and sexuality

11:00 , Alex Woodward

Ron DeSantis recently expanded a measure labelled by opponents as the “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibiting classroom instruction on issues related to gender and sexuality, which critics argue will have a chilling effect on LGBT+ people in schools as part of an effort to erase LGBT+ people from public life.

Another recently signed law targeting immigration voids out-of-state driver’s licenses for people without proof of citizenship and bars municipalities from using state money to issue identification cards for undocumented immigrants, and most companies in the state must verify whether their patients are living in the country legally.

Immigration advocates warn that such measures will devastate the state’s construction, restaurant and agricultural industries that rely on immigrant workers.

Florida hospitals that accept Medicaid will also be required to collect their patients’ immigration statuses, which LULAC warns will place an “unjust ethical burden on providers administering necessary medical care and perpetuates discrimination based on immigration status.”

DeSantis 2024 campaign logo brutally mocked: ‘So he’s admitting he’s a swamp creature?’

10:30 , Shweta Sharma

As he launches his presidential campaign, Florida governor Ron DeSantis is being mocked for the choice of logo greeting visitors to his official website as he files the paperwork to officially become a candidate taking on former president Donald Trump.

Before his event hosted on Twitter alongside the platform’s owner Elon Musk, his campaign site consisted of a simple image of an alligator in a swamp.

The logo appears to be intended as a reference to Mr DeSantis’s home state of Florida, but Twitter users were quick to mock the choice of the logo as depicting a swamp creature after Mr Trump spent much of the 2016 campaign pledging to “drain the swamp” in reference to Washington, DC and railing against the “deep state”.

DeSantis 2024 campaign logo mocked: ‘So he’s admitting he’s a swamp creature?’

DeSantis restricts affirming healthcare for transgender minors

10:00 , Alex Woodward

On 17 May, Mr DeSantis approved a slate of bills that restrict affirming healthcare for transgender minors, threaten drag shows, forbid people from using bathrooms that match their gender identity, and prevent people from using their chosen pronouns at schools.

The legislation follows administration policy restricting gender-affirming care for trans people in the state over the objections of major health organisations and LGBT+ advocates.

One law creates a new informed consent process that requires trans patients 18 and older to see a physician in person for gender-affirming healthcare, which will likely prohibit many trans adults from using telehealth or relying on other health providers such as nurse practitioners for their care.

That ambiguity has left health providers and legal analysts unclear how to navigate the law, which could prompt providers to stop providing gender-affirming care altogether, for patients of any age, according to LGBT+ advocates.

Trump says DeSantis to blame for Disney becoming 'woke' and 'disgusting'

09:30 , Shweta Sharma

Donald Trump has blasted his main rival for the 2024 presidential race Ron DeSantis for not stopping Disney from becoming “woke” and “disgusting”.

In a Truth Social post, he said: “Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the “market” will do irreparable damage.”

“This all happened during the Governorship of “Rob” DeSanctimonious. Instead of complaining now, for publicity reasons only, he should have stopped it long ago. Would have been easy to do - Still is!”

Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki on DeSantis ‘consequential’ run for president

09:00 , Gustaf Kilander

His 2024 launch was laughable but DeSantis could be more dangerous than Trump

08:30 , Shweta Sharma

The Trump clone wars have begun. With Florida governor Ron DeSantis‘s extremely online campaign announcement, the 2024 GOP primary just kicked into high gear. In an audio-only conversation on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk and VC David Sacks, Mr DeSantis officially announced he is running for president. But first, much like some of Mr Musk’s rockets, there was a failure to launch that overshadowed everything that followed.

For 20 minutes, there was almost no talking, but there were repeated crashes. The app crashed for me at least 16 times while I tried to listen in to Twitter Space. As the Space hit 680k listeners at 6.20 pm, Mr Musk just ended it after remarking about the servers being strained. Minutes later, Mr Musk started another Twitter Space and Mr DeSantis began reading off a statement attacking “woke ideology” and the “woke mob,” but he recited this to an audience that was 1/5 the size of the first Twitter Space – at about 150,000 listeners when he read his announcement and around 300,000 at its peak. President Joe Biden responded by simply tweeting out a donation link with the words: “This link works.”

His 2024 launch was laughable but DeSantis could be more dangerous than Trump

Sununu: ‘In this day and age there’s nothing disqualifying for any candidate, unfortunately'

08:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Trump says DeSantis to blame for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting’

07:51 , Shweta Sharma

Donald Trump has criticised Ron DeSantis for not taking on Disney sooner, suggesting his main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination could have prevented the entertainment giant from becoming – in his words – “woke” and “disgusting”.

Mr Trump lashed out at both Disney and Mr DeSantis on Sunday as the Florida governor remains locked in a feud with one of America’s best-loved brands, after it opposed his so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

“Disney has become a Woke and Disgusting shadow of its former self, with people actually hating it. Must go back to what it once was, or the ‘market’ will do irreparable damage,” Mr Trump said.

Trump says DeSantis to blame for Disney becoming ‘woke’ and ‘disgusting’

Disney opposes DeSantis request to disqualify judge in free speech lawsuit

07:30 , Shweta Sharma

Disney is opposing a request by governor Ron DeSantis to disqualify a judge overseeing the company’s First Amendment lawsuit against the Florida governor and others in which Disney says it was punished for speaking out against Florida legislation that critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay”.

Disney said in court papers filed Thursday that the request by attorneys for Mr DeSantis, who declared his candidacy for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination last week, didn’t come close to meeting the standards set out in Florida law for requiring a judge to be disqualified.

Last week, Mr DeSantis’ attorneys filed a motion seeking to disqualify chief US district Judge Mark Walker, who is presiding over the case in federal court in Tallahassee.

Disney opposes DeSantis request to disqualify judge in free speech lawsuit

DeSantis has restricted honest discussion of race and racism in schools and in the workplace

07:00 , Alex Woodward

There are more than 7,000 Black-owned businesses in Miami-Dade County alone, according to the county’s chamber of commerce.

“What’s happening in Tallahassee goes against everything we are as Black people,” according to Eric Knowles, president and CEO of the chamber, speaking to the Miami-Herald.

But a potential boycott is “going to affect and impact Black businesses and my first and foremost responsibility is to help and grow Black businesses,” he added.

Since entering the governor’s office, Mr DeSantis has restricted honest discussion of race and racism in schools and in the workplace, prohibited classroom discussion of issues related to gender and sexuality, and signed measures targeting LGBT+ people and their healthcare, abortion rights, immigrants, voting rights, and constitutionally protected speech.

Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt, and damaged – badly’

06:30 , Shweta Sharma

Vocal Maga supporter Kimberly Guilfoyle on Saturday claimed that Ron DeSantis would “get hurt and damaged badly” by the Florida governor’s 2024 presidential bid against Donald Trump, the father of her boyfriend.

Ms Guilfoyle, who was previously married to California governor and Democrat Gavin Newsom, made the comments on Newsmax TV’s America Right Now.

“You’re gonna run against Donald Trump, you are going to get hurt and damaged badly,” said Ms Guilfoyle, who lives in Florida with Donald Trump, Jr. “That is the problem. So by the time Trump is done – we saw this before, 16 people, one after the next, fell off the stage – you’re gonna end up in the junkyard, and you’re not gonna be in good shape for 2028.

“That’s just a fact,” she said.

Kimberly Guilfoyle threatens DeSantis: ‘You’re going to get hurt, and damaged’

Ron DeSantis policy stances as he sets off on campaign for White House

06:00 , Shweta Sharma

DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse

05:30 , Shweta Sharma

For years, Florida legislators and the governor’s office enjoyed a close relationship with The Walt Disney Company, among the state’s largest employers, wielding enormous political influence while bringing in billions of dollars to the state each year.

Now, the company and allies of Republican governor Ron DeSantis are suing one another, following a year-long feud over opposition to what opponents have called Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law that boiled over into political and legal battles that could shape the company’s business in the state.

The state’s feud with the company is entangled with volatile far-right attacks smearing Disney and LGBT+ people as “groomers” and “paedophiles,” while similar threats to LGBT+ people are making their way through state legislatures and governor’s offices across the country.

Read Alex Woodward’s report.

DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse

‘Small Black businesses and marginalized communities certainly should not be the sacrificial lamb'

05:00 , Alex Woodward

Meanwhile, his feud with the Walt Disney Company – a tourism mammoth and political heavyweight – has boiled over into lawsuits and spurred the company to pull out of a $1bn project in the state.

More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, and tourist spending in the state in 2019 totaled nearly $100bn, according to the state’s tourism promotion agency Visit Florida.

Several Black tourism groups have questioned whether the NAACP is taking the right approach.

“The question we all must ask ourselves is, ‘Who does the Florida travel advisory really hurt?’” according to a statement from the Future of Black Tourism, Blacks in Travel & Tourism and the Black Travel Alliance.

“We believe there is a better way to make a statement to Governor DeSantis beyond a travel advisory petitioning African Americans and people of color to stay away from Florida,” the groups added. “Small Black businesses and marginalized communities certainly should not be the sacrificial lamb.”

Texas lawmakers pass bill restricting sexual performance in front of kids

04:20 , Shweta Sharma

Texas’s Republican-controlled legislature passed a bill that will criminalise public performances of sexually explicit shows by performers as well as businesses, a potential law that drag artists fear will prompt a crackdown.

The bill, which was originally designed to restrict minors from attending certain drag shows, was expanded to remove direct specific reference to drag performers just before an end-of-day deadline.

The bill will now go to governor Greg Abbott who is expected to pass it into law.

The bill would ban real or simulated groping, real or simulated arousal and display of a sex toy, if done in a “prurient” manner in front of a minor or on public property. And it includes a definition of sexual conduct that bars wearing accessories or prosthetics that enhance the female or male form in front of a minor or on public property.

Violators could face up to a year in jail, and businesses hosting performances deemed illegal could be fined $10,000 for each violation.

It comes after earlier this month Ron DeSantis signed a law that would impose restrictions on drag shows, cracking down on businesses that admit children to adult performances by revoking their food and beverage licences.

VIDEO: The GOP Candidate Pool grows by two

04:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Activists draw attention to DeSantis’s assault on civil liberties that has animated his 2024 campaign

03:30 , Alex Woodward

In June 1990, Miami officials rescinded a proclamation welcoming the leader of the movement to end South African apartheid after he expressed support for Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat and Moammar Gadahfi.

The following month, Miami attorney HT Smith launched Boycott Miami, encouraging Black tourists and businesses to avoid the state. In quick succession, local, state and national groups – including the ACLU, the National Conference of Black Mayors and the National Organization for Women, among others – canceled or moved their meetings and conventions out of the state.

But unlike that movement, the coalition of civil rights groups behind recent travel advisories are not calling for an economic boycott, but drawing attention to the governor’s far-reaching assault on civil liberties that have animated his newly launched 2024 campaign for the Republican nomination for president.

‘DeSantis has weaponized his position to weave bigotry, hate, and discrimination into public law'

02:45 , Alex Woodward

Equality Florida warned LGBT+ people travelling to the state last month after the governor advanced a sweeping set of policies targeting LGBT+ people, particularly transgender youth, that have echoed in state legislatures across the US.

Other advisories followed from the League of United Latin American Citizens and the NAACP, two of the oldest and largest civil rights advocacy groups in the US. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT+ political advocacy group, also has joined Equality Florida’s advisory.

“Since the day he took office, Governor DeSantis has weaponized his position to weave bigotry, hate, and discrimination into public law for his own political gain,” Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said in a statement this week.

‘Governor Ron DeSantis has inflicted deep and lasting damage upon our state'

02:00 , Alex Woodward

“Governor Ron DeSantis has inflicted deep and lasting damage upon our state, eroding the fundamental rights of our residents and visitors while exploiting the word ‘free’ as a hollow campaign slogan,” said Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida.

“We understand everyone must weigh the risks and decide what is best for their safety, but whether you stay away, leave or remain we ask that you join us in countering these relentless attacks,” she added. “Help reimagine and build a Florida that is truly safe for and open to all, and where freedom is a reality, not a hollow campaign slogan.”

DeSantis wants to model America after Florida. Civil rights groups are sounding the alarm on his ‘hostile’ agenda

01:15 , Alex Woodward

For 1,000 days, after a decade of racist violence and unrest in Florida and around the US, a boycott launched by Black residents in Miami called on Black tourists and businesses to stay out of the city.

From 17 July 1990 to 12 May 1993, a boycott supported by the NAACP and other civil rights groups urged visitors to steer clear, inflicting potentially tens of millions of dollars in lost tourism revenue in Miami-Dade County.

Black Miami residents had long been subject to systemic inequality and exclusion from the city’s lucrative tourism industry, but the city’s rejection of Nelson Mandela following his release from a 27-year prison sentence proved to be the tipping point.

Thirty years later, another coalition of civil rights groups has issued travel advisories warning visitors before traveling to the state, where Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has advanced a far-right platform targeting civil liberties, education, healthcare and immigration.

Read more:

DeSantis wants to model America on Florida. Civil rights groups say be worried

‘I may not like you as an individual, but I like your issues'

Monday 29 May 2023 00:30 , AP

In Chicago, Tyrone Muhammad, who leads Ex-Cons for Social Change, lashed out at Republicans for being “losers” for not seizing a very real opportunity to win over more African Americans. While sitting next to Vivek Ramaswamy on stage, he also declared that the Republican Party is racist.

Later, he said he actually voted for Trump in 2020 because Trump enacted a criminal justice bill that aimed to shorten prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders and address racial inequalities in the justice system. While the GOP has since embraced tough-on-crime rhetoric, Muhammed noted that Biden as a senator helped pass the 1994 crime bill that led to the mass incarceration of Black people.

Muhammad said he might vote Republican again in 2024, despite the party’s shortcomings. He pointed to the GOP’s fight against illegal immigration as a core reason for support.

“I may not like you as an individual, but I like your issues, I like your policies,” he said.

Republican backed by 14 per cent of Black voters in 2022 midterms

Sunday 28 May 2023 23:45 , AP

A majority of Latino voters supported Biden in the 2020 presidential contest, according to AP VoteCast, an extensive national survey of the electorate. But Trump cut into that support in some competitive states, including Florida and Nevada, revealing important shifts among Latinos from many different cultural backgrounds.

In last fall’s midterm elections, support grew for Republican candidates among Black voters, although they remained overwhelmingly supportive of Democrats, AP Votecast found. Overall, Republican candidates were backed by 14% of Black voters, compared with 8% in the midterm elections four years earlier.

While the shifts may be relatively small, strategists in both parties acknowledge that any shift is significant given how close some elections may be in 2024.

VIDEO: Ron DeSantis comments on Trump, Republican primary debate in August

Sunday 28 May 2023 23:00 , Gustaf Kilander

Gavin Newsom says DeSantis signing 'extreme of the extreme' gun laws shows he's 'scared of the people'

Sunday 28 May 2023 22:15 , Gustaf Kilander

DeSantis hit by three federal lawsuits alleging voter suppression violate constitutional amendments

Sunday 28 May 2023 21:30 , Gustaf Kilander

Ron DeSantis is facing three new lawsuits after he signed a new law just hours before announcing his presidential campaign – legislation which makes it harder to vote in Florida.

The bill allows Mr DeSantis to continue as governor in the Sunshine State as he campaigns for the White House, but it also restricts the use of mail-in ballots, attempts to make it easier to purge voting rolls, and places limits on third-party voter registration organisations, according to Mother Jones.

Mr DeSantis is now the target of three federal lawsuits from groups such as the NAACP, League of Women Voters, and the Hispanic Federation.

They argue that the new limitations on voting violate the First and Fourteenth amendments to the Constitution.

Democracy Docket states that the new legislation, “Requires organizations to reregister for every single election cycle,” that it “Prohibits prefilled information on registration applications,” and that it “Shortens the amount of time organizations have to return registration applications from 14 days to 10 and increases the fine associated with late delivery”.

They also say that the law “Bans noncitizens and individuals with certain felony convictions from handling voter registration applications and imposes fines for each violation of this requirement” and that it “increases the total aggregate fine that an organization can be levied in each calendar year from $50,000 to $250,000”.

‘There are multiple shades of melanin in this Republican race’

Sunday 28 May 2023 20:45 , AP

Federal officials were preparing to relocate hundreds of migrants from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chicago’s South Side, even as many local residents struggled with violence and difficult economic conditions.

“It is certainly true that there are multiple shades of melanin in this Republican race,” Vivek Ramaswamy said in an interview. “I think that in some ways dispels the myth that much of the left will perpetuate that this is somehow you know, a racist party or whatever drivel.”

He added: “But personally, I could care less what someone’s skin color is. I think what matters is, what are they going to accomplish? What’s their vision?”

As of now, the GOP does not have any Hispanic candidates in the 2024 contest. But Francis Suarez, the Miami mayor, said he may change that in the coming days.

“I think it’s important the field does have candidates that can connect with and motivate Hispanics to continue a trend that’s already happening,” he said in an interview, noting that he’s “very strongly” considering a White House bid. “Democrats have failed miserably to connect with Hispanics.”

‘Some think our ideas are not just wrong, but racist and evil'

Sunday 28 May 2023 20:00 , AP

In her announcement video, Nikki Haley noted that she was raised in a small town in South Carolina as “the proud daughter of Indian immigrants — not black, not white, I was different.” Like Scott, she has defended the GOP against charges of racism.

“Some think our ideas are not just wrong, but racist and evil,” Haley said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Larry Elder is quick to criticize the Democrats’ “woke” agenda, Black Lives Matter and the notion of systemic racism.

Critics say such messages are actually designed to win over suburban white voters more than to attract voters of color. But on the South Side of Chicago on a recent Friday afternoon, there were signs that some Black voters were open to the GOP’s new messengers, given their frustration with both political parties.

One attendee at Vivek Ramaswamy’s town hall waved a flyer for a “Biden boycott” because the Democratic president has not signaled whether he supports reparations for the descendants of slaves, although Biden did back a congressional effort to study the issue. None of the GOP’s presidential candidates supports reparations, either.

Others condemned Democrats, in Chicago and in Washington, for working harder to help immigrants who are in the country illegally than struggling African American citizens.

Trump leads DeSantis among California Republicans

Sunday 28 May 2023 19:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Donald Trump is leading his main rival for the GOP presidential nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, among Republicans in California.

The former president has the support of 44 per cent of Republicans in the state, while Mr DeSantis has 26 per cent, according to a poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

Three months ago, Mr DeSantis led Mr Trump among likely GOP primary voters in the state by eight percentage points.

Poll director Mark DiCamillo told the Los Angeles Times: “Trump dominates the news, and I think he enjoys that, and I think he gets the sense when he is dominating the news, he’s probably expanding his messaging to his base.”

“I think this poll pretty much proves that. Even when the news isn’t necessarily great, he’s able to give his own opinion about why things are the way they are, and the Republican base pretty much believes him,” he added.

Among California’s overwhelmingly Democratic electorate, there are still millions of Republican voters.

Republican candidates in presidential primary field have embraced the GOP’s ‘anti-woke' agenda

Sunday 28 May 2023 18:30 , AP

With few exceptions, the Republican candidates who have entered the presidential primary field have embraced the GOP’s “anti-woke” agenda, which is based on the notion that policies designed to address systemic inequities related to race, gender or sexuality are inherently unfair or even dangerous.

DeSantis this past week described such policies as “cultural Marxism.”

Still, the GOP’s diverse field is not ignoring race. Indeed, some candidates are making their race a central theme in their appeal to Republican primary voters even as they deny that people of color face systemic challenges.

Scott insisted that America is not a racist country in his recent announcement speech.

“We are not defined by the color of our skin. We are defined by the content of our character. And if anyone tells you anything different, they’re lying,” he said.

Republican presidential candidates of color largely support DeSantis’ positions

Sunday 28 May 2023 17:45 , AP

The NAACP recently issued a travel advisory for the state of Florida under DeSantis’ leadership, warning of open hostility “toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.” The notice calls out new policies enacted by the governor that include blocking public schools from teaching students about systemic racism and defunding programs aimed at diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Republican presidential candidates of color largely support DeSantis’ positions.

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, said the GOP’s policies are far more important than the racial and ethnic diversity of their presidential candidates. He noted there also were four Republican candidates of color in 2016, the year Trump won the White House after exploiting tensions over race and immigration.

“White nationalists, insurrectionists and white supremacists seem to find comfort in the (Republican) Party,” Morial said. “I think we’re beyond the politics of just the face of a person of color by itself appealing to people of color. What do you stand for?”

GOP may have opportunity in 2024 to weaken Democrats’ grip on African Americans and Latinos

Sunday 28 May 2023 17:00 , AP

The Republicans’ increasingly diverse leadership, backed by evolving politics on issues such as immigration, suggest the GOP may have a real opportunity in 2024 to further weaken the Democrats’ grip on African Americans and Latinos. Those groups have been among the most loyal segments of the Democratic coalition since Republican leaders fought against the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Republican presidential contenders of 2024 walk a fine line when addressing race with the GOP’s overwhelmingly white primary electorate.

In most cases, the diverse candidates in the Republican field play down the significance of their racial heritage. They all deny the existence of systemic racism in the United States even while discussing their own personal experience with racial discrimination. They oppose policies around policing, voting rights and education that are specifically designed to benefit disadvantaged communities and combat structural racism.

Former Democratic rep slams DeSantis for conflict of interest as his staff solicit donations

Sunday 28 May 2023 16:15 , Gustaf Kilander

Former Democratic Florida Representative Debbie Jessika Mucarsel-Powell appeared on MSNBC saying that “DeSantis ... passed a law here in the state of Florida that allows him to remain in office ... and immediately we’re seeing there’s conflict of interest for his official staffers to be texting lobbyists to contribute to a political campaign”.

Read more:

DeSantis administration aides are hitting up Florida lobbyists for campaign cash

Liz Cheney to give Colorado College graduation speech as GOP campaign speculation persists

Sunday 28 May 2023 15:30 , AP

Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney will give a graduation speech at her alma mater, an elite Colorado liberal arts college, amid questions about her political future and insistence that Donald Trump never become president again.

At Colorado College’s commencement on Sunday, the Wyoming Republican is expected to touch on themes similar to those she has promoted since leaving office in January: Addressing her work on the House January 6 Select Committee that investigated the U.S. Capitol insurrection and standing up to the threat she believes Trump poses to democracy.

Cheney’s busy speaking schedule and subject matter have fueled speculation about whether she may enter the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Declared or potential candidates ranging from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have calibrated their remarks about Trump, aiming to counter his attacks without alienating the supporters that won him the White House seven years ago.

Read more:

Liz Cheney to give Colorado College graduation speech as GOP campaign speculation persists

Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

Sunday 28 May 2023 14:45 , AP

During Donald Trump‘s first visit as president to Chicago, a frequent target in his attacks on urban violence, he disparaged the nation’s third largest city as a haven for criminals and a national embarrassment.

At a recent town hall, Republican presidential contender Vivek Ramaswamy sat alongside ex-convicts on the city’s South Side and promised to defend Trump’s “America First” agenda. In return, the little-known White House hopeful, a child of Indian immigrants, found a flicker of acceptance in a room full of Black and brown voters.

The audience nodded when Ramaswamy said that “anti-Black racism is on the rise,” even if they took issue with his promise to eliminate affirmative action and fight “woke” policies.

“America First applies to all Americans — not just the few that Republicans talk to,” he said.

Race has emerged as a central issue — and a delicate one — in the 2024 presidential contest as the GOP’s primary field so far features four candidates of color, making it among the most racially diverse ever.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the first Black senator in the South since Reconstruction, entered the contest earlier in the month. He joined Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador who is of Indian descent, and Larry Elder, an African American raised in Los Angeles’ South Central neighborhood who came to national attention as a candidate in the failed effort two years ago to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who is of Cuban descent, says he may enter the race in the coming days.

Most of the candidates of color are considered underdogs in a field currently dominated by Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Read more:

Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

DeSantis’s rise coincided with large levels of inward migration into Florida

Sunday 28 May 2023 14:00 , Andrew Feinberg and Eric Garcia

DeSantis’s ascent in Florida coincided with large levels of inward migration into Florida, a state with no income tax. At the same time, a steady drumbeat of GOP messaging which cast even the most moderate Democrats as “socialist” helped push Latino voters — many of whom were immigrants from countries with actual socialist governments — to begin casting votes for Republicans.

With those winds at his back — and a newfound prominence in right-wing media thanks to his rejection of Covid vaccines and public health measures such as masks — Mr DeSantis won re-election in 2022 by slightly less than 20 points, even flipping historically Democratic areas like Miami-Dade County.

His win atop the midterm election ticket coincided with historic Democratic losses on the state level, leaving Florida Democrats in a weaker minority status in the state legislature and leaving the party without a single representative among statewide elected officials.

DeSantis won governorship by less then one percentage point

Sunday 28 May 2023 13:00 , Andrew Feinberg and Eric Garcia

Mr DeSantis’ alleged dislike of the lower chamber became evident after just two terms when he briefly stood as a candidate for the Senate seat held by Senator Marco Rubio, who was then running for president in the 2016 primary.

When Mr Rubio lost the Republican primary for president to Mr Trump, Mr DeSantis instead stayed on the ballot for his House seat and won a third term easily.

But after a short period of working to gain Mr Trump’s favour by aggressively criticising the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the then-president rewarded Mr DeSantis’ loyalty with an endorsement when he ran in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial primary.

After winning the GOP nomination, Mr DeSantis barely beat his Democratic opponent, former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum, winning his place in the Florida Governor’s mansion by less than a percentage point.

‘I was new to Congress, and he didn’t introduce himself or even say hello'

Sunday 28 May 2023 12:00 , Andrew Feinberg and Eric Garcia

A former House GOP colleague, ex-Michigan Representative David Trott, told Politico earlier this month that Mr DeSantis never once attempted to so much as start a conversation with him during the two years they sat next to each other on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“I was new to Congress, and he didn’t introduce himself or even say hello,” he recalled in an email to the outlet’s Playbook newsletter.

In a subsequent phone interview, Mr Trott also called the Florida governor an “a*****e” and said he does not think Mr DeSantis “cares about people”.

Another House colleague who spoke anonymously to NBC News said he “had no friends” in Congress and was “not a backslapping politician”.

“He wasn’t a friendly guy. He was a personal-agenda-driven guy,” said one lawmaker. “I was with him in the gym every morning and could hardly get him to say hello. He didn’t seem like he liked being here.”

DeSantis had reputation as an awkward loner

Sunday 28 May 2023 11:00 , Andrew Feinberg and Eric Garcia

After he was sworn into Congress in January 2013, he quickly became one of the most conservative members of an avowedly conservative House Republican Conference. After he won a second term in the 2014 midterms, he became a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of far-right Republicans that would become such a thorn in the side of then-House Speaker John Boehner that the Ohio Republican chose to resign rather than suffer the indignity of being forced out for forging one too many compromises with Mr Obama.

The Florida Republican compiled as conservative a voting record as any member of the House GOP, but despite arriving on the scene at a time when his brand of hard-right conservatism was becoming more and more en-vogue in the House, he never became as well-known as some of his equally conservative colleagues, such as Reps Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mark Meadows (R-NC) or Justin Amash (R-MI).

One possible reason for that — his reputation as an awkward loner — appears to have already hampered his chances against Mr Trump.