Overview of A Second Look: Megyn's 2023 Sitdown with Gov. Ron DeSantis
This bonus episode of The Megyn Kelly Show replays Megyn Kelly’s July 2023 in-person interview with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as part of her “A Second Look” series. The conversation centers on DeSantis’s presidential campaign, his worldview on federal power, COVID accountability, culture-war issues, and his contrast with Donald Trump and Joe Biden. DeSantis makes a broad argument for aggressive executive leadership, federal agency reform, and a hard line on issues like the border, education, abortion, and transgender policy.
Main Topics Discussed
DOJ, Hunter Biden, and “Weaponized” Federal Agencies
- DeSantis says the Hunter Biden plea deal falling apart shows a double standard inside the Department of Justice.
- He argues the DOJ and FBI have become “weaponized” and too insulated from presidential accountability.
- He calls for:
- a new FBI director and attorney general,
- breaking up and relocating parts of federal agencies outside Washington, D.C.,
- stronger presidential oversight of federal law enforcement.
COVID Accountability and RFK Jr.
- DeSantis rejects the idea that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would head the CDC or FDA.
- He says RFK Jr. would instead fit better as part of a broader accountability effort focused on COVID-era failures.
- He argues the federal response to COVID caused major harm, including school closures, inflation, and institutional overreach.
Age, Energy, and Leadership
- He uses Mitch McConnell’s collapse and Joe Biden’s age to argue that the country needs younger, more energetic leadership.
- DeSantis says a president needs “vigor” and stamina to move quickly and govern effectively.
2024 Campaign, Polling, and Electability
- DeSantis pushes back on claims that his campaign is struggling.
- He says the race is about early-state performance, not national polling, and claims strong ground operations in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
- He argues he is more electable than Trump in key battlegrounds like Georgia and Arizona.
- He defends campaign staff changes as part of a necessary “reset.”
Media Strategy and “Retail Politics”
- Kelly presses him on whether he has become too reliant on safe conservative media.
- DeSantis says he has done plenty of press as governor and will continue doing interviews and public events.
- He rejects the narrative that he is not good at retail politics, citing his statewide travel and event participation.
Establishment Donors and GOP Criticism
- He responds to claims that he is backed by Republican elites and big-money donors.
- DeSantis says the accusation is false and points to his confrontations with Disney, big sugar, Big Pharma, and COVID mandates as evidence he is anti-establishment.
- He also argues his small-dollar fundraising is growing.
Loyalty to Trump and “It’s His Turn” Arguments
- DeSantis rejects the idea that Trump is entitled to the nomination because of past grievances.
- He says politicians have to earn support and that loyalty belongs first to family, the Constitution, and God.
- He frames his candidacy as a duty to step up because “2024 is make or break” for the country.
Florida Education Standards and Slavery Debate
- DeSantis defends Florida’s black history education standards after criticism that they suggested enslaved people developed useful skills.
- He says the standards were written by scholars, including Black historians, and that the language refers to skills developed in spite of slavery, not because of it.
- He accuses Kamala Harris and the corporate media of cherry-picking and misrepresenting the standards.
Disney, Bud Light, and Corporate Activism
- DeSantis defends his confrontation with Disney over the Parental Rights and Education Act.
- He argues Florida was justified in stripping special privileges from Disney because the company used its power to oppose state policy and “sexualize children.”
- He also defends the state’s scrutiny of Anheuser-Busch after the Bud Light controversy, saying Florida pension holders were harmed by the stock decline.
- His core argument: corporations should not get special treatment if they act politically against the public interest.
Transgender Policy and Women’s Sports
- DeSantis says Florida has already protected women’s sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms.
- He supports expanding those protections federally, possibly through Title IX.
- He criticizes Trump as insufficiently firm on these issues, saying voters want clear defense of women and girls.
Abortion
- He says Florida’s six-week heartbeat law reflects his pro-life position.
- DeSantis stops short of firmly endorsing a federal abortion ban, saying states should lead and Congress is unlikely to act meaningfully.
- He emphasizes he would be a pro-life president and oppose taxpayer-funded abortion.
Border, Immigration, and Cartels
- DeSantis proposes a militarized border response on day one, including a national emergency declaration.
- He says he would use the military and Border Patrol more aggressively and treat cartel activity as a lethal threat.
- He ties the border crisis to fentanyl deaths and argues the federal government is failing to protect Americans.
Inflation and the Economy
- He blames inflation on government spending, the CARES Act, the American Rescue Plan, and easy money from the Federal Reserve.
- He calls for cutting government spending, increasing domestic energy production, and reducing bureaucratic burdens on business.
- His broader message: inflation is a government-made problem.
January 6, Trump Indictments, and Pardons
- DeSantis says he would oppose political weaponization of the justice system.
- He argues Trump may be indicted on questionable legal theories and says D.C. juries are biased.
- He says he would likely pardon Trump if it served the country, while also stating that January 6 showed poor judgment on Trump’s part.
Key Takeaways
- DeSantis’s brand in this interview is executive forcefulness: he repeatedly argues that a president should directly control federal agencies and clean house.
- He positions himself as a culture-war governor who has already delivered on education, gender policy, abortion restrictions, and anti-“woke” corporate fights in Florida.
- He frames Trump as electorally weaker than his supporters claim, especially with independents and in swing states.
- He treats the 2024 race as a generational and institutional reset, not just a personality contest.
- His governing philosophy is populist-nationalist but highly process-driven: discipline, accountability, and willingness to use state power aggressively.
Notable Personal Moment
- The interview ends on a softer note when DeSantis discusses his wife, her breast cancer battle, and how supportive she has been throughout his career.
- He says his marriage makes him a better leader, and he pushes back on the idea that a strong leader must choose between family and public service.
Overall Impression
The conversation presents DeSantis as a combative, highly ideological candidate who sees himself as a reformer willing to confront institutions, corporations, and even parts of his own party. The interview is less about campaign theater and more about his governing philosophy: centralized presidential power, anti-bureaucratic reform, cultural conservatism, and aggressive resistance to progressive institutions.