Ron DeSantis Denies Report He Is Planning Another White House Run in 2028

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he is not preparing another run for the White House in 2028 — denying reports of a DeSantis 2028 run hours after the Washington Post said he was getting ready to seek the Republican presidential nomination again. The newspaper said it based its report on three people briefed on his plans. DeSantis rejected that account in blunt terms on X, saying the report was fabricated and that he had not reached out to anybody about running for anything.

The two versions now stand in direct conflict, and neither side has offered public proof that settles the question. Until more evidence appears, readers should treat the idea of a DeSantis 2028 run as a disputed report, not as a confirmed plan.

Quick Facts

What the Washington Post Reported

The Washington Post published its report on Friday night, November 6, 2026. The newspaper said DeSantis is preparing to seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, and it cited three people briefed on his plans. The report did not name those people in public. It presented their accounts as the basis for its claim that early steps toward a campaign were already under way.

According to the report, DeSantis had already reached out to at least one national political consultant about working on a prospective campaign. Early contact with senior staff is often one of the first signs that a candidate is serious. The report also said a federal super PAC tied to DeSantis sent out a fundraising text earlier in the week. A super PAC is a separate political committee that can raise and spend large sums in support of a candidate.

It is worth noting what the report did not claim. It said DeSantis is preparing a run. It did not say he had declared his candidacy, filed paperwork, or set a launch date. Preparation and declaration are different things. Many potential candidates test the waters long before they say anything in public. The report was picked up quickly by other news outlets, including Fox News and The New York Ledger.

How DeSantis Responded

DeSantis answered the report himself, on X, on Friday evening. He did not leave room for doubt about his view of the story. He wrote: “The Washington Post is fabricating this out of whole cloth. I have not reached out to anybody about running for anything. Just another pathetic attempt to garner clicks. Using anonymous sources of course!”

That reply deals directly with the central claim in the report. The Post said he had reached out to at least one national political consultant. DeSantis said he had not reached out to anybody about running for anything. Those two statements cannot both be true. There is no public record yet that resolves that gap.

DeSantis kept posting on the same thread. When one user replied hoping the report was accurate, DeSantis replied: “Probably the case. But maybe just made up by WaPo.” He also wrote, “Friends don’t let friends read the Washington Post.” A candidate denial does not prove that a report is false, just as a report based on unnamed sources does not prove that it is true. But a direct denial from the person at the center of the story carries real weight, and Fox News Digital said it reached out to DeSantis’ office and the Washington Post for comment.

Why the DeSantis 2028 Run Report Drew Attention Now

The timing of the report helps explain why it spread so quickly. DeSantis is term limited as Florida governor, and he will leave office in January 2027, when Governor-elect Byron Donalds is sworn in. A governor near the end of his time in office, with a national profile and a past presidential campaign behind him, is a natural subject for talk about what comes next.

DeSantis has left the door open to another presidential campaign in the past. He has not ruled out running again, and that history makes any new report about 2028 easy to believe for many readers. A flat denial now sits beside those earlier open ended comments. Some supporters reacted with hope, and at least one user told him on X that he hoped the report was accurate.

Republican politics has been unsettled since the midterm elections, and DeSantis weighed in sharply. Our earlier report on his warning that the midterms could be an extinction level event for Republicans covers that debate. You can read that report here: Ron DeSantis Warns Midterms Could Be an Extinction Level Event for Republicans. Our report on Stephen Miller replacing Susie Wiles as chief of staff on November 6 shows how fast the ground has shifted inside the administration. You can read it here: Stephen Miller Replaces Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff on November 6.

What We Know and What Remains Unclear

The known facts are narrow. The Washington Post reported that DeSantis is preparing a 2028 run, citing three people briefed on his plans. The report said he had contacted at least one national political consultant, and that a federal super PAC tied to him sent a fundraising text earlier in the week. DeSantis denied the report on X in strong terms. He ran in 2024, lost badly in Iowa, and later endorsed Trump.

One other voice appeared in the coverage. Dan Eberhart, a longtime Republican donor who worked on DeSantis’ 2024 campaign, told the Washington Post that Florida’s results strengthened the governor’s position. That suggests some past supporters still see him as a serious figure. It does not prove a 2028 campaign is being prepared. A donor can praise a governor’s record without knowing his private plans.

Much more remains unclear. The public does not know who the three people briefed on his plans are, or how close they are to DeSantis. It does not know which consultant he is said to have contacted, or what the super PAC fundraising text said. The honest position, for now, is to hold both claims in mind and wait for more facts. A consultant could confirm or deny contact. A campaign filing could appear. Or nothing more could appear, and the story could fade as a brief flare in a busy news week. The debate over the midterms also adds useful context, because it shows how quickly blame and credit move inside the party after a bad result. Our report on J D Vance blaming the Iran war for the Republican midterm defeat is a good example of that wider argument. You can read it here: J D Vance Blames Iran War for Republican Midterm Defeat.

What Happens Next

The next steps are easy to describe and hard to predict. If DeSantis is not preparing a run, the story should fade as the news cycle moves on, and his denial will be the final public word on it. If he is preparing a run, more signs should appear over time. Those signs could include staff hires, travel to early voting states, fundraising activity tied to his name, or public comments that point toward a future campaign. None of those signs has been confirmed in public so far.

DeSantis has time on his side, whatever he decides. He does not leave office until January 2027, and the 2028 primaries are still far away. A candidate in his position can wait, watch the field, and decide later without losing much ground.

For voters and readers, the practical advice is simple. Treat the report as a claim that needs more proof. Note the denial, and note who made it. Watch for independent evidence, such as a named source, a filing, or a hire, before treating a 2028 run as a fact.

Is Ron DeSantis running for president in 2028?

There is no confirmed answer yet. The Washington Post reported that he is preparing to seek the Republican nomination in 2028, citing three people briefed on his plans. DeSantis denied the report on X, saying it was fabricated. Until more evidence appears, a 2028 run should be treated as a disputed report, not a fact.

What did the Washington Post report say?

The Post reported on Friday night, November 6, 2026, that DeSantis is preparing a 2028 campaign. It said he had reached out to at least one national political consultant about working on a prospective campaign, and that a federal super PAC tied to him sent out a fundraising text earlier in the week.

What did DeSantis say in response?

DeSantis denied the report on X on Friday evening. He wrote that the Washington Post was fabricating the story out of whole cloth, and that he had not reached out to anybody about running for anything. He also wrote, “Friends don’t let friends read the Washington Post.”

When does DeSantis leave office as Florida governor?

DeSantis is term limited and will leave office in January 2027. Governor-elect Byron Donalds is due to be sworn in at that time. DeSantis ran for president in 2024, suspended his campaign in January 2024 after the Iowa caucuses, and endorsed Donald Trump after finishing second in Iowa, roughly 30 points behind him.

Sources

• Washington Post, report on Ron DeSantis and a possible 2028 presidential run, November 6, 2026. washingtonpost.com
• Fox News, coverage of the Washington Post report and the DeSantis denial. foxnews.com
• The New York Ledger, coverage of the Washington Post report on DeSantis and 2028. thenyledger.com

Final Thoughts

This story is a reminder that a report and a fact are not the same thing. The Washington Post reported that Ron DeSantis is preparing a 2028 run, and it gave reasons for that claim. DeSantis denied it in his own words, and he gave no ground at all. Both claims are now on the public record, and the truth will become clear only when more evidence appears. Until then, the fair way to describe this story is simple. A major newspaper said a campaign is being prepared. The governor named in the report says it is not.

DeSantis has been here before. He ran for president, lost, and came home to finish his term as governor. Whether he tries again is a question only he can answer in the end, and his answer so far is no. If that answer changes, the evidence will show it.