Gov. Ron DeSantis says he trusts the Board of Governors to make the right call on the University of Florida’s embattled presidential pick, but amid mounting criticism from Trump world, he won't say what that choice should be.
DeSantis's Thursday comments, where he weighed the different viewpoints on former University of Michigan president Santa Ono, came a day after MAGA world blasted the selection and demanded the Board of Governors—all DeSantis appointees—reject Ono for his past support of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
This followed the UF board of trustees unanimously recommending Ono for BOG approval on Wednesday, hopeful that the 62-year-old will become the Gainesville university's next top dog.
But DeSantis is staying quiet on whether or not Ono should be booted, noting that while his past DEI comments make the governor "cringe," others believe Ono plans to leave his past "woke policies" back in Michigan.
"I don't know the candidate," DeSantis said at a Fort Myers press conference on Thursday. "People have pointed out a lot of statements that he has made that are not exactly what we're looking for in a state where woke goes to die. And I cringe at some of these statements.”
But others, DeSantis noted, think Ono has "reached the limit on campus leftism" and wants to be "more in line with what Florida is doing."
"I wasn't the one who picked the candidate...It's my view to let [BOG] do their job, let the process unfold," DeSantis added.
Hours after UF's board of trustees greenlit Ono's selection, Donald Trump Jr. took to social media, seemingly flabbergasted at Ono's consideration.
"WTF! Have the decision makers at @UF lost their minds!??? This woke psycho might be a perfect fit for a Communist school in California, but how is he even being considered for this role in Florida?" Trump wrote. "Every single member of the Florida Board of Governors should vote against him!!!"
Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Greg Steube have raised similar concerns, while Rep. Byron Donalds—the Trump-endorsed candidate to succeed DeSantis in 2026—insisted that UF needs to "go back and figure out something else."
