Strange Things About Ron & Casey DeSantis' Marriage That Everyone Ignores

As the first couple of Florida, Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey DeSantis, have positioned themselves as power players in the MAGA sphere. To be fair, Ron has certainly made a political name for himself; after leaving his career in the Navy behind, he quickly ascended into the House of Representatives in 2012 before becoming governor of Florida in 2019. Along the way, Casey has been an integral part of his campaigns, successes, and failures. While this might not come off as the weirdest thing in the world, how they navigate their private and public lives has turned some heads — though most people have seemingly kept quiet about any major red flags.

As a family unit, Ron, Casey, and their children have become part of the political landscape, both at home in Florida and nationally. When Ron warmed up the 2024 presidential race by throwing his hat into the ring, it placed him and his family in the spotlight. However, the longer they lingered in the headlines, the more strange things came to the surface about how Ron and Casey operate as a couple. There appears to be a pattern of Casey strong-arming Ron and his ambitions behind the scenes, as well as the reminder as to just how awkward Ron can be. From handling campaigns together to getting caught up in a minor scandal, there's a handful of oddities within the DeSantis' marriage that might be worth examining.

Though Casey DeSantis has gone through quite the dramatic transformation herself, it seems that she also demanded a change from her husband, Ron DeSantis. Possibly an indicator that Casey would like to be in charge of the family branding, there's a rumor that she's behind the apparent flip-flopping of how to pronounce "DeSantis." According to the Tampa Bay Times, constituents had picked up on the inconsistent "Dee-Santis" versus "Duh-Santis" being used in political ads. It was noted that Ron seemed to prefer the harsher sounding "Dee" version, while Casey was preferential to the softer "Duh-Santis." When asked about this, campaign spokesperson Stephen Lawson did his best to keep it classy, but did ultimately admit that "[Ron] prefers Dee-Santis," which could be an indication that Casey was the one pushing for a particular pronunciation.

This spilled into the 2024 presidential campaign, with then-candidate Donald Trump taking to social media with a slew of posts dedicated to dunking on Ron. One post on Truth Social called out how Ron "wants to change his name, again." However, Trump seemed to take Casey's side by admitting, "Actually, I like 'Da' better, a nicer flow." While the relationship between Ron and Trump might need some repair after the bruiser of the 2024 race, it does seem that Casey's strategy of softening the family name might have been a good instinct, at least when it comes to understanding the president's preferences. In fact, it might be Casey's good instincts that have helped Ron get where he is today — a feeling that seems well-known behind the scenes, but ignored elsewhere.

During Ron DeSantis' ultimately failed 2024 presidential run, there were rumblings about who was operating things behind the scenes. According to Politico, several prominent lobbyists and insiders noted just who they saw wearing the pants. "[Casey DeSantis] is every bit as involved in Ron's rise as Ron is himself," MSNBC analyst David Jolly divulged. However, this behavior has been ongoing, with several staffers alleging that Casey has been behind some of the good — and bad — decisions Ron has made.

It's even something political rivals have picked up on, with chaotic character Roger Stone posting to Telegram in 2022, "Have you ever noticed how much ... Casey is like Lady Macbeth?" And there might be more to the comparison than Stone realized. A former staffer told Politico that Ron "makes political decisions with the assistance of his wife ... And she sees ghosts in every corner." Another staffer described Casey as "paranoid." This behavior ultimately led Dan Eberhart, a donor of Ron's campaign, to admit, "She is both his biggest asset and his biggest liability."

While stumping on the 2024 campaign trail, Ron DeSantis was full of awkward moments. For example, the time Ron's fashion choices made him the laughing stock of the internet. For her part, Casey DeSantis has been able to help make Ron appear more palatable to the public, with her presence bringing a warmth that Ron almost naturally lacks. However, there was one moment where Casey couldn't overcome Ron's lack of social skills with the handshake seen around the world.

During a January 2024 presidential debate in Des Moines, Iowa, Ron wandered toward the crowd at the bottom of the stage during a commercial break. According to the New York Times, the candidate from Florida shook hands with Iowa governor Kim Reynolds and her husband. He then continued down the line and shook Casey's hand as well, leaving many to scratch their heads at the strange behavior between the two.

There may have been practical reasons for the awkward incident; for example, the stage was too elevated for Ron to properly give his wife a hug. Campaign spokesperson Andrew Romeo neglected to offer a comment, but did point out that the Iowa caucuses were a much bigger deal than a handshake. However, there appears to have been some handshake deals in Ron and Casey's past that might come back to haunt them.

In 2019 it was revealed by the Tampa Bay Times that people behind Governor Ron DeSantis' campaign had floated the idea of essentially charging a "pay to play" scheme. It was revealed that offers like golfing with DeSantis, going to dinner with him, or even getting a quick meeting could cost anywhere from $25,000 to $250,000. While these leaked memos never amounted to any actual wrongdoing, there is a history of DeSantis placing high-end donors within cabinet positions. For example, the Orlando Sentinel found several instances of donors being appointed positions on the State University System Board of Governors or to the St. Johns River Water Management District.

While Casey DeSantis wasn't technically implicated in the matter, her behind-the-scenes power and assumed management of Ron's campaigns possibly includes her by proxy. According to Politico, it was this leak that led to Casey and Ron starting an ongoing beef with Susie Wiles, the campaign strategist who helped Ron win the governorship in 2018. Where Ron and Casey were able to weather the leaked memos, they ultimately ended up severing their ties with Wiles. Wiles went on to join Donald Trump's ultimately successful 2024 presidential campaign, and is now making history as Trump's chief of staff. As for Ron and Casey, there's a chance the hidden ambitions of one of them might not be ignorable for long.

For much of Ron DeSantis' stint as governor of Florida, Casey DeSantis has been presenting herself as a formidable first lady for the state and beyond. Casey was even trying to copy Melania Trump's style, as if indicating she thought herself to already hold the White House position. While it's common for most first ladies to make appearances and support the team in some capacity, Casey has made a point to embed herself within her husband's success. Per Politico, Casey snagged herself an office in the Florida capitol that's larger than the one belonging to Ron's first chief of staff. Someone close to the couple mentioned that "involving [Casey] in major decisions on policy and personnel," made sense as "we kind of felt like people voted for her as much as they voted for [Ron]."

Having Casey's face be part of Ron's campaign ads, along with her presence at his rallies, might have helped his image — but it also helped hers. This was noticed by President Donald Trump who told the Wall Street Journal in November of 2022, he thought Casey "is really running his campaign." It's gotten to the point that many are noticing Casey might be ready to transition from pulling the strings behind the scenes to placing herself front and center. Staffers have admitted to Politico that Ron will agree to policy, then go speak to Casey and change his mind. One lobbyist even divulged, "To me ... it kind of comes across almost as if she wishes that she was the elected official."