Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new book, “The Courage to Be Free,” leans into the culture wars that established him as one of the early Republican favorites for the GOP nomination for the presidency.
While more sparse on biographical details than most political memoirs, the 256-page book offers some new insights into his upbringing, college years and military service. But mostly, DeSantis rehashes his contentious four years as governor and suggests he has laid a path for others to follow.
“The battles we have fought in Florida – from defeating the biomedical security state to stifling woke corporations to fighting indoctrination in schools – strike at the heart of what it means to be a Floridian and an American,” DeSantis writes.
The book’s release has coincided with the soft-launch of the Republican’s presidential campaign and it ends with a forward-looking note that alludes at the next challenge ahead.
“The Florida Blueprint is a simple formula: be willing to lead, have the courage of your convictions, deliver for your constituents, and reap the political rewards. This is a blueprint for America’s revival. We’ve shown it can be done,” he writes.
CNN obtained an advance copy of the book before its publication on Tuesday. Here are four takeaways:
DeSantis largely avoids direct confrontation with former President Donald Trump, whom he praises for his “unique star power,” “massive following” and “filling the void that GOP leaders had left by ignoring the preferences of their own voters.” He continued his defense of Trump’s 2016 campaign against investigations for Russian election interference.
But DeSantis expended considerable ink challenging Trump’s version of the 2018 Florida governor race to claim back credit for his victory.
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