Ahead of the Florida Governor’s appearance in South Florida Wednesday, the sound system played Lara Trump’s version of “I Won’t Back Down.”

But on the political burning question of the day, he did back down, contradicting the lyrics penned by Tom Petty and reinterpreted more recently by the former Republican National Committee co-Chair.

On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis demurred when asked to discuss the upcoming gubernatorial election.

“I want to focus today not on the ’26 Election but on vindicating the ’24 election by showing that we’re going to get this job done here. You know, you have these elections and then people start talking about new elections. Why don’t we actually get something done based off the previous election?”

DeSantis made the comments in Homestead during a news conference about immigration that had federal representation. He said President Donald Trump, who endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds over First Lady Casey DeSantis this week, “deserves all Republicans in particular to be supporting those efforts.”

DeSantis’ demurral in discussing the election to succeed him deviates from recent past practice.

“You got a guy like Byron Donalds; he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the Left over these last years. He’s just not been a part of it,” DeSantis said earlier this week in Tampa.

The Governor has said the First Lady could take his administration’s accomplishments “to the next level.”

He also has said long-deceased conservative leader Rush Limbaugh endorsed her years ago, as her uncompromising worldview entranced him at a dinner where she was “just holding court with Rush about conservatism and all this other stuff.”

“And so at the end of the dinner, he just put his finger in my chest. He’s like, ‘The only person I would rather have as my Governor than you is her.’ And he pointed at her. And I was like, that’s a pretty good endorsement there.”

Though Rush Limbaugh may be with Casey DeSantis in spirit, Republicans who are still alive are backing Donalds. Sen. Randy Fine and Reps. Yvette Benarroch, Berny Jacques, Toby Overdorf, and Juan Porras are among the Florida politicians supporting the Naples Republican.

Others are quieter but seemingly on board, including a member of leadership who tells Florida Politics that the Governor’s management style rankles House Republicans and see Casey DeSantis as a third term bid by the incumbent.

Ron DeSantis memorably wrangled endorsements from the vast majority of legislative Republicans ahead of his presidential bid, which started formally after the 2023 Session but had a soft launch when lawmakers were deliberating. It remains to be seen if the same political capital will be available for Casey’s bid for her husband’s office.

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Sen. Jay Collins and Rep. David Borrero have filed legislation seeking to protect consumers from bad actors in Chinese e-commerce and retailers from other countries of concern.

Those sellers have, in some cases, been found to peddle unvetted, potentially dangerous and sometimes counterfeit products into U.S. markets. The bills (SB 1090, HB 1023) specifically target the People’s Republic of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria, as well as any other nations “under significant control of such foreign country of concern.”

While not specifically named, the legislation targets Chinese discount retailers such as Temu, Shein and Alibaba. It would require sellers to, prior to a sale or other transaction, “disclose to a consumer in a clear and conspicuous manner the general location of the online seller or online platform if the online seller or online platform is located in or conducts business from a foreign country of concern,” according to the Senate bill.

Additionally, the legislation would require online retailers from countries of concern to place proceeds from sales and other transactions with Florida-based consumers into a U.S.-based escrow account. Sellers would be required to leave proceeds from Florida sales in that escrow account for at least 120 days before being transferred to the seller.

Under the legislation, violations would run afoul of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, which protects consumers from dishonest business practices such as false advertising or misleading sales pitches. The state statute allows for civil penalties for up to $10,000 per violation.

Similar legislation was filed in the Senate last year, but died in its first committee. There was no House companion.

The push to crack down on nefarious overseas sellers like Temu and Shein is not unique to Florida. President Donald Trump and his administration have also been weighing whether to add both retailers to the U.S. forced labor list, according to Semafor.

Temu, in a statement to the outlet, said it “strictly prohibits the use of forced labor” and has a code of conduct barring “all forms of involuntary labor.” Shein similarly told the outlet it has “made it our priority to implement best in class standards.”

The U.S. forced labor list, under the Department of Homeland Security, was established in 2021 through the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) briefly earlier this month said it would no longer accept parcels from China and Hong Kong after the Trump administration imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports that included an exemption for small value parcels, which would apply to value sites like Temu and Shein. However, USPS reversed the decision just a day later, leaving such imports open and available in the U.S.

The tariffs on China were aimed at reducing the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. from Chinese sources by imposing fiscal penalties that could force China to take action.

But the legislation from Collins and Borrero isn’t necessarily tied to fentanyl. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) estimates that counterfeit products, such as faulty electronics, account for 350,000 serious injuries annually, as well as 70 deaths. But the carnage is lucrative, with the USPTO estimating the global sale of counterfeit goods at a $2 trillion industry, more than illegal drugs or human trafficking.

Critics of low-cost sites like Temu and Shein point to low-quality merchandise that is advertised one way, but received another. Think clothing for adults that arrives barely large enough for a child, or kitchen gadgets that look like awesome life hacks, but turn out to be cheap, useless plastic.

Do a web search for “Temu” for “fake reviews” and notice the myriad complaints about product quality. Perhaps worse though are the potential scams affiliated with both Temu and Shein, including “brushing” scams. Such scams include receipt of packages that weren’t ordered, then used to write a fake review of the products on the recipient’s behalf.

Other documented potential threats include selling U.S. consumer data and other e-commerce related fraud.

Neither the Senate nor House bill have been referred to committee. Both were filed this week.

If passed and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis the legislation would take effect July 1.

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Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

After a pre-endorsement from President Donald Trump, it was bound to happen. Now, it’s official: U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is running for Governor.

Donalds, first elected to Congress in 2020, made the announcement late Tuesday night in a prime-time interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity.

Less than 24 hours later, Florida political figures are rushing to endorse him. Sen. Randy Fine, who is running for Congress, was among the first to jump on board.

“Byron Donalds and I were elected to the State House in 2016 and for four years led the fight in Tallahassee to transform education in Florida,” the Palm Bay Republican posted on social media. “For the past four years, I have marveled at how my classmate took that fight to Washington. I couldn’t be more excited to see him return to Florida as our next Governor and take us to the next level. Honored to join Donald Trump and endorse him on Day 1!”

Miami Republican Rep. Juan Porras also announced support: “Last year, I was the first State Representative to endorse Donald Trump and few men stood with the President as staunchly as Byron Donalds. Today, I am honored to be the first in the State House to endorse him to be the next Governor of Florida.”

Other early backers: Rep. Yvette Benarroch, Rep. Berny Jacques, Rep. Toby Overdorf, Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer and former Rep. Spencer Roach, former Republican Party of Chair Christian Ziegler.

First Lady Casey DeSantis has long been floated as a potential candidate and both have made jabs at Donalds in recent weeks. For his part, Donalds said Wednesday that he wants to earn DeSantis’ support.

Evening Reads

—”The Donald Trump staffers who get paid by private clients” via Josh Dawsey, C. Ryan Barber and Katherine Long of The Wall Street Journal

—“Nazi-adjacent DOGE kids are overruling the Secretary of State? Am I hearing this right?” via Ben Mathis-Lilley of SLATE

—“Did Russia invade Ukraine? Is Vladimir Putin a dictator? We asked every Republican member of Congress” via Elaine Godfrey of The Atlantic

—”Trump says Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House Friday to sign U.S.-Ukraine critical minerals deal” via The Associated Press

—”Writing the history of the Joe Biden presidency, in the Trump Era” via Jennifer Schuessler of The New York Times

—”Byron Donalds is running for Governor. With Trump’s backing, can anyone stop him?” via Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix

—”Federal rail, airport grants in Florida appear intact as Trump cost-cutting drive unfolds” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

—“A safe space in a crisis. Inside Tampa General’s new behavioral health hospital” via Christopher O’Donnell of the Tampa Bay Times

—”‘I grieve what I could have had’: Daughter of murdered couple reflects on killer’s execution” via Fresh Take Florida

—”SpaceX launch tonight to send ice hunters to the moon” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel