Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is elevating his political profile even further as he leans into his decision to send two planes of migrants to the tiny Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard.
DeSantis, a one-time protégé of former President Trump, was already viewed as a likely top-tier contender for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination if he ran.
But the outsized attention surrounding his move last week to pay for sending a group of predominantly Venezuelan migrants to Martha's Vineyard — a haven for elites and a favorite vacation spot for many prominent Democrats — has pushed his star higher in GOP circles, even as it draws condemnation from Democrats and human rights advocates.
The decision and subsequent backlash has dominated the political conversation for days. DeSantis follows other Republican governors from border states who have sent migrants to more liberal "sanctuary cities" across the country, but the Florida governor is among those with the most clear aspirations for higher office. The move , which Democrats have derided as a "political stunt," follows a similar playbook that Trump used during the GOP primaries in 2016 by focusing on border enforcement.
Still, the maneuver carries with it political risks for the GOP at a time when Republicans have been favored to win the House and have hoped to capture the Senate as well, building on increased support among Hispanic voters, among other groups.
The Hill's Rafael Bernal takes a look at what could be at stake as DeSantis, as well as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R), send migrants from the U.S. southern border to Democratic-led cities in northern states.
For now, Republican leaders are hailing the move, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) among those applauding the governors' efforts.
"I personally thought it was a good idea," McConnell said Tuesday. "Out of desperation, a few governors along our southern border are now giving some Democrat-run states and cities just a tiny, tiny taste of what border communities have been enduring, literally, for years."
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