DeSantis: Time for a 'Bottom-Up' Reform of Conservative Media

Fact check: Probably true. And largely moot, or at least it will be soon enough.

Ron DeSantis made an appearance Saturday at the University of Notre Dame, ostensibly to analyze the midterm debacle for the GOP, but also clearly to establish himself as a post-midterm leader among Republicans. The outgoing governor of Florida spoke about the necessary changes to the conservative movement to return to success, and focused on the conservative media, at least briefly. Michael Tracey refers to this as DeSantis' "I Told You So" tour, which references a similar criticism DeSantis made at the beginning of the 2024 primaries after DeSantis dropped out:

Ron DeSantis, continuing his post-midterms "I Told You So" tour, says there needs to be a "big change" in "conservative media culture" -- because so much that is just a "grift," and/or "pay-to-play" scam-artistry stuff. Please note: This is obviously an implicit critique of "MAGA Media Inc.," and therefore "Trump," since to the degree there's been any GOP media "grifting" in recent years -- which according to DeSantis has contaminated the right-wing information landscape -- it's all been overwhelmingly centered around the personage of one man: Our Favorite President. DeSantis actually briefly started to complain about this phenomenon at the tail-end of the 2024 Republican primaries, right before he got knocked out in Iowa.

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) November 7, 2026

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called for a “big change” in conservative media after the Democrats trounced the Republicans in the midterms, with the gov saying a whole lot of “grift” needs to be purged in order for the GOP to win over voters in the years ahead. DeSantis shared his take during a Saturday interview at the University of Notre Dame.

“I think you need more bottom-up, I think you need less focus on the presidency, and I think you need more focus on not just people running for elected office, people that are involved in the conservative groups, [but] I think we need a big change in kind of the conservative media culture,” DeSantis said. “Because a lot of that is a grift, and it’s pay-to-play, and it’s just not offering very much in the way of strong ideas and things that are really going to illuminate your understanding.”

He continued, “There’s all these different things that are not doing well on the right, and I think we deserve an American Right that’s fit to fight and is ready to go for… a decade of battles, just to get to a point where we’re able to avert disaster and put us on a solid path.”

Well, as far as the "I told you so" aspect, that doesn't really work. Trump won the primaries and then went on to a resounding win in the 2024 general election. That doesn't necessarily make those criticisms invalid, but those issues didn't prevent Trump from winning and the GOP from maintaining their thin congressional majorities either. 

In this cycle, DeSantis may have a point, given the sharp disconnect between the cheerleading from the supposed "grifters" and last week's debacle. But again, how salient is it really? Yes, there are Trump cheerleaders and sycophants in the media but in the era of social media, it's pretty easy to find MAGAs and Never Trumpers and all points in between among conservative media. Most commentators focus on policies and outcomes, and in our binary system, that generally means that conservatives line up behind Donald Trump – not because of Trump himself, but to get as many of their preferred policies put and kept in place. In this midterm, the choice seemed pretty stark between the two parties, given that one party wrapped itself completely around Trump and his rallies while the other welcomed socialists and Islamists into their "big tent." That's not a mirage; that was the reality of this cycle and perhaps the next six years in the Senate. 

Besides, there is a difference between grifting and cheerleading. The latter is sincere, while the former is not. Most of the issue DeSantis identifies likely takes the latter form from people who sincerely believe in Trump's genius, not people who cynically pretend to do so just to get a few clicks. To put it mildly, the profit motive in the American media market cuts sharply in the other direction. Republican apostates and Right-leaning Trump critics get lots more attention and exposure on most media platforms. The "grift" potential narrows sharply for Trump acolytes. To the extent that the issue exists, it comes from true believers rather than "grifters."

Regardless, the issue will largely resolve itself on its own, especially after the midterm "shellacking." Trump can't run for another term anyway, and the reaction to his "vote like I'm on the ballot" tour makes it clear that the magic has dissipated. Trump will remain influential, but he's not the future of the Republican Party any longer. Republican voters will decide that future over the next two years, and the "cheerleader" faction will fracture and realign to other poles within the new firmament. 

That will be a true "bottom-up reform" of the conservative media. Perhaps its next iteration will have less of a hero-worship quality, mainly because there are no potential idols on the GOP's horizon, no sui generis figures to rally the less-engaged electorate. Democrats didn't have anyone after Barack Obama, although the Protection Racket Media tried mightily to lift both Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris to that status. The future of the GOP will likely belong to a well-seasoned politician with a substantial track record of success in elections and policymaking, not a celebrity tycoon with a gift for connecting with the working class and charming media influencers into cheerleading roles. 

DeSantis is right, but voters and readers have already begun the process. The end of the era approaches. The 'reform' will take care of itself. The larger issue is the mainstream media's corruption, and DeSantis also called that out in the same interview. That should be our focus in the short run until the 2028 sweepstakes get fully underway. 

Editor's Note: Do you enjoy HotAir's conservative reporting exposing the radical left and woke media? Support our work so we can keep bringing you the truth.

Join HotAir VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.