Ron DeSantis moves toward GOP presidential bid on his own terms

"North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's team has criticized DeSantis' record on abortion as insufficiently conservative."

"Among his other priorities: allowing people to carry guns in public without a permit; weakening laws protecting journalists from lawsuits; and cracking down on illegal immigration, including a plan to eliminate in-state tuition for college students in the country illegally."

"Last week, he made surprise stops in New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago to court law enforcement leaders, although the events were private and he did not notify local media."

"Trump was largely ignored throughout the weekend retreat, although conservative commentator Ann Coulter seized on his failure to build a wall spanning the entire U.S.-Mexico border during a Saturday panel discussion with DeSantis on border security, according to one person in the room."

"And he is often at odds with the press, refusing even to notify local media of last week's rare three-state tour with law enforcement."

"Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Teessee Gov. Bill Lee were also in attendance, along with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie."

This is a positive sentiment.

"Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Teessee Gov. Bill Lee were also in attendance, along with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie."

This is a positive sentiment.

"Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Teessee Gov. Bill Lee were also in attendance, along with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie."

This is a positive sentiment.

"Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Teessee Gov. Bill Lee were also in attendance, along with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie."

This is a positive sentiment.

"Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Teessee Gov. Bill Lee were also in attendance, along with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie."

This is a positive sentiment.

"Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Teessee Gov. Bill Lee were also in attendance, along with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie."

This is a positive sentiment.

"Trump's increasing focus on DeSantis may unintentionally help the Florida Governor by defining him as the strongest Republican Trump alternative, according to Sam Nunberg, a former Trump aide turned critic."

This is a negative sentiment.

"He's also shown no interest in responding to Trump's increasingly personal attacks, which include recent social media posts suggesting that DeSantis behaved inappropriately with underage girls when he briefly taught high school in his early 20s."

This is a negative sentiment.

"He has yet to visit Iowa and won't respond yet to Donald Trump's personal attacks."

This is a negative sentiment.

"North Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem's team has criticized DeSantis' record on abortion as insufficiently conservative."

This is a negative sentiment.

"New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu publicly condemned DeSantis' decision to use the levers of government to punish private businesses like Disney that push back against his policy priorities."

This is a negative sentiment.

"Trump is not invited.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

""I knew that a Trump endorsement would provide me with the exposure to GOP primary voters across the State of Florida, and I was confident that many would see me as a good candidate once they learned about my record," DeSantis writes, according to an early copy obtained by the Guardian."

This is a positive sentiment.

"nn"DeSantis has, in his style and the actions he's taken as Governor, shown a willingness to fight the traditional powers that be, the establishment," said David McIntosh, president of the Club for Growth, an influential conservative group based in Washington."

This is a negative sentiment.

"For now, DeSantis is perhaps the most potent threat to Trump's effort to win the GOP nomination for the third time."

This is a negative sentiment.

"The attendees included former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Texas-based donor Roy Bailey, a former member of Trump's national finance committee."

This is a negative sentiment.

"The attendees included former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Texas-based donor Roy Bailey, a former member of Trump's national finance committee."

This is a negative sentiment.

"The attendees included former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Texas-based donor Roy Bailey, a former member of Trump's national finance committee."

This is a negative sentiment.

"The attendees included former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton and Texas-based donor Roy Bailey, a former member of Trump's national finance committee."

This is a negative sentiment.

"But as conservative activists gather in suburban Washington this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will be courting donors more than a thousand miles away in Texas and California."

This is a positive sentiment.

"McIntosh described DeSantis' style as "refreshing" and suggested the GOP is ready to move on from former President Donald Trump.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

"McIntosh described DeSantis' style as "refreshing" and suggested the GOP is ready to move on from former President Donald Trump.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.

""Look, Donald is worried, and if I was working for him, I'd say he needs to update the playbook," Nunberg said."

This is a negative sentiment.

"Trump announced three months ago.nn"

This is a negative sentiment.