DeSantis Keeps 2028 Door Ajar, Tells Allies He Hasn't Decided

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hasn't ruled out a second swing at the White House, but he hasn't committed either. Two people familiar with his thinking told ABC News he's keeping the 2028 option alive. No decision has been made.

The chatter picked up after DeSantis called Republicans' midterm losses a "meteor strike" — his latest colorful framing for a rough night for the GOP. He argued Florida bucked the Democratic wave. Earlier he'd gone further, labeling the results an "extinction-level event" and noting that come January, only one of the 10 most populous states will have a Republican governor.

Other reports suggested DeSantis was gearing up to chase the Republican nomination and had already reached out to a political consultant. He shot that down on social media, saying he hadn't contacted anyone about running for office.

DeSantis knows the drill. He ran for president in 2024 and pulled out before the New Hampshire primary, and his time as Florida governor wraps up in January — leaving him without an office for the first time in years.

He's not the only Republican eyeing 2028. Vice President JD Vance has said there's "a chance" he runs but won't decide yet, and he's argued Trump will effectively pick the nominee. Trump himself told Pod Force One he'd "love" a third term, while nodding to the 22nd Amendment's two-term limit.

For now, DeSantis stays a maybe — a name in the mix, a decision still unmade, and a calendar that suddenly has room on it.