POLITICO 'A nicer version of Trump': GOP donors flock to DeSantis The Florida governor has cultivated relationships with many of the party's biggest givers, who admire his opposition to strict Covid mitigation policies. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is seen during a press conference on June 8, 2020 in Miami, Florida. | Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images Link Copied Over dinner, the Florida governor addressed an audience of deep-pocketed donors convened by the influential Bradley Foundation, an organization that funnels cash to right-leaning nonprofit groups. DeSantis, whose attendance has not been previously reported, held forth for nearly an hour, detailing the anti-lockdown approach to the coronavirus pandemic that’s turned him into a conservative hero and propelled him to the upper echelon of potential 2024 GOP hopefuls.