Gov. Ron DeSantis has anointed himself as the Commander in Chief, just not in the traditional sense most Americans are familiar with. The governor is supposedly handing out coins as the Commander in Chief of Florida, a partial title commonly held by the president of the United States, this being President Donald Trump.
The colorful coin appears to depict the Florida State Capitol in gold in the center, surrounded by the writing "Governor Ron DeSantis" and "Commander in Chief" in blue around its border.
DeSantis ran for president to become commander in chief during the 2024 presidential cycle before bowing out in January of that year. Notably, the governor did not make it to defend his turf in Florida for the Republican primary.
President Donald Trump, the more traditional Commander in Chief, won the 2024 Florida Republican presidential primary with over 81% of the vote. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who also withdrew in March of that year, received roughly 14% of the vote.
Trump went on to win Florida by 13 points in the general election over Vice President Kamla Harris, as well as the presidency in dominating fashion.
The coin's inscription, not usually seen in the political sphere, begs an interesting question in regards to the governor's motive.
Is DeSantis 2028 coming in the future?
Although the race is still years away, DeSantis's intention behind the coin may leave some to wonder if the governor is looking to make another run at it and finally call himself America's Commander in Chief.
At the same time, DeSantis has fended off attacks among Republicans, including House Speaker Daniel "Danny" Perez, over illegal immigration policies, so the title could also be a flex to who's running the show in the Sunshine State.
Regardless, DeSantis is a military veteran, having served in the U.S. Navy before later being deployed to Iraq in 2007, so a formal transition as Commander in Chief of the country if elected 48th president of the United States wouldn't be too difficult.
Notably, six U.S. presidents with naval backgrounds have called themselves Commander in Chief, including John F. Kennedy and George H.W. Bush. Could DeSantis be the seventh in 2028?
Time will tell.
Oh, and DeSantis isn't the only current or past governor of Florida to use the challenge coin. Former Govs. Jeb Bush and Rick Scott also passed out challenge coins with "COMMANDER IN CHIEF" inscribed on it.
