Ron DeSantis is Dispelling the Notion He is Awkward, Republicans Say

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has managed to drum up support for his 2024 campaign from state legislators across the country by going on the charm offensive and winning over numerous Republicans, some reports say.

DeSantis is currently trailing Donald Trump in the 2024 GOP primary polls and is also struggling to compete with the former president in terms of political endorsements.

So far, DeSantis has only managed to secure the backing of five sitting members of Congress—reps. Laurel Lee of Florida, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Chip Roy of Texas, Bob Good of Virginia, and Georgia's Rich McCormick—and one governor, Oklahoma's Kevin Stitt.

DeSantis has also not yet received the backing of any U.S. senator. In comparison, Trump has already been endorsed by dozens of lawmakers and governors in his latest bid for the White House.

Where DeSantis has been more successful is getting the support of more than 250 state lawmakers not only in Florida, but other states such as Georgia and Iowa.

According to The Miami Herald, Republicans are opting to back DeSantis after he won them over on a personal level, contradicting previous reports that the Florida governor does not have the charisma or skills in retail politics to become president.

In May, DeSantis visited state lawmakers in New Hampshire and won over numerous Republicans, including Jason Osborne, the GOP House Majority Leader in New Hampshire.

"We had heard this legend of Ron DeSantis and what an impersonal kind of a****** he is, he's awkward around people, doesn't know how to talk, etc," Osborne, who is one of 50 New Hampshire legislators to have backed DeSantis, told The Herald.

"So he shows up, gives a great speech, lots of standing ovations, and hangs out and talks to the crowd for an hour," Osborne added. "And everyone says, 'Hey, what a cool dude.'"

Georgia GOP Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch said DeSantis and his wife, Casey, also impressed when the pair visited the state Capitol in March in the weeks before the Florida governor confirmed his 2024 campaign.

"He really just opened up and was very sincere and genuine," Gooch said. "And I think everyone in the room left there somewhat surprised he was so easy to approach."

It was previously suggested that DeSantis may struggle on the campaign trail as he struggles with personal etiquette while meeting with potential voters and influential donors.

According to a New York Times report, DeSantis' own team told the 2024 hopeful that he needs to engage in the "basics of political courtship: small talk, handshaking, eye contact" during his campaigning.

"Personality is an important component of assessments of presidents and presidential candidates. But it is a bit more complicated than being the happy warrior or glad-hander," Joshua Scacco, associate professor and associate chair of the Department of Communication at the University of South Florida, previously told Newsweek.

"It is about adaptability to the context in a manner that meets expectations or violates expectations in a manner that the audience finds affirming to their worldview."

Despite concerns about his personal touch on the campaign trail, Sam Cooper, the DeSantis campaign's political director, told The Herald that the Florida governor is "happy sitting and talking to state lawmakers about public policy" in their states.

"He really enjoys it and is good at it," Cooper said, adding the tactic to appeal to state lawmakers will ultimately help DeSantis appeal to voters on a grassroots level.

"These folks are people who are closest to our voters day to day," Cooper said.

"So you talk about a presidential campaign and the scale at which we operate, we can't talk to everybody. So you go out and get these lawmakers, they're not congressmen, they're not senators," Cooper added.

"They're going to local chamber meetings, they're going to county fairs. That's a way for us to reach our folks."

DeSantis' office has been contacted for comment via email.