Jenna Ellis, the former Trump 2020 re-election campaign lawyer who pleaded guilty in 2023 to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements in writing in order to avoid jail time, is currently hosting a podcast in partnership with the conservative and Christian fundamentalist organization, American Family Association.
Ellis reported this week that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told her that DeSantis’s new Lt. Governor, former Florida Senator Jay “Buzzsaw” Collins will be “DAY ONE READY to be Gov should he decide to run.” (Collins was appointed Lt. Gov. in August to replace Jeanette Nuñez, whom DeSantis named President of Florida International University.)
DeSantis is not running for re-election due to term limits; his wife, Casey DeSantis, is reportedly considering a run, while President Donald Trump has already endorsed MAGA Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL).
If you listen to one clip from @GovRonDeSantis this morning, LISTEN TO THIS https://t.co/HIgnciSFsO
— Jenna Ellis
(@realJennaEllis) August 20, 2025
When DeSantis was asked why he didn’t tap Trump-endorsed Florida State Senator Joe Gruters for his Chief Financial Officer (he choose Blaise Ingoglia instead), DeSantis said that Gruters “voted to violate Floridians’ 2nd Amendment rights,” and that he “sided with the teacher unions, rather than conservatives,” and “would have made Alligator Alcatraz illegal,” among other gripes.
Ellis voiced agreement with DeSantis’s decision by retweeting conservative social media influencer John Cardillo‘s claim that “Trump’s endorsement radar is broken.”
More than one conservative replied to Cardillo’s post with criticism of Trump’s White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles who is reportedly picking the candidates for the President’s endorsements. One commenter replied: “This is a Susie Wiles pick is what this is. She’s trying to set up a national GOP that post Trump will shut out DeSantis conservatives.”
.@GovRonDeSantis perfectly explains how much of a RINO @JoeGruters really is.
Gruters will make Ronna look conservative. Trump’s endorsement radar is broken. pic.twitter.com/9mZPQAqLyZ
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) August 23, 2025
Since DeSantis’s appointment of Ingoglia as CFO, Trump named Gruters as interim chairman of the RNC, as former RNC chair Michael Whatley is now running for U.S. Senator Thom Tillis‘s seat in North Carolina, and with Trump’s support.
Cardillo and Ellis agree that Gruters is a “RINO” and “will make Ronna look conservative.” (Ronna McDaniel was the former chairperson of the RNC until Trump replaced her with Whatley and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump.)
After her interview with DeSantis, Ellis also reported that the Governor dropped “the MOAB on the FL Establishment: They want a Purple Florida.”