Good Friday morning and on this Veterans Day, thank you to all those who have served our country.

That escalated quickly— Earlier this week, Donald Trump said he voted for Gov. Ron DeSantis. Then on Thursday night he unloaded on him.

Let me tell you how I feel— The former Republican president blasted DeSantis, who won reelection in a landslide and is now seen as the most viable contender to take on Trump for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. In a lengthy statement, Trump lashed out at media coverage of DeSantis and called him an “average” governor who would have never won in 2018 without Trump’s help.

Just one part— “And now, Ron DeSanctimonious is playing games!" he wrote. "The Fake News asks him if he’s going to run if President Trump runs, and he says, 'I’m only focused on the Governor’s race, I’m not looking into the future.' Well, in terms of loyalty and class, that’s really not the right answer.”

Additional thoughts— Roger Stone, a longtime ally of the president, told POLITICO’s Matt Dixon that DeSantis deserved the attack because “Ron DeSantis owes his governorship to Donald Trump and challenging him in 2024 would be a treacherous act of disloyalty.”

Waiting game— Of course, those in both Trump and DeSantis world knew that this was inevitable as long as DeSantis refused to rule out a run for president. But for now it would appear that DeSantis will hold his tongue and remain quiet. While DeSantis frequently says he will “never back down,” there have been several times during his time as governor where he has remained silent on various controversies. There are some in DeSantis’ orbit who say he should focus on being governor and instead let Trump wear himself out.

How long will this go on?— Will that work? Maybe. Trump is expected to officially announce his own candidacy next week. Will he use that forum as a time to heap even more insults onto the governor? Earlier in the week, Trump made a vague comment to a Wall Street Journal reporter that if DeSantis runs for president “I will tell you things about him that won’t be very flattering.” So it goes.

 — WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

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HERE IT COMES— Trump goes to war against DeSantis, by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon: Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose campaign did not return a request seeking comment, has so far not responded publicly to former President Donald Trump’s chiding. “I think that Ron is very clearly living rent free in the former president’s head,” said Stephen Lawson, a Georgia-based strategist who was communications director for DeSantis’ successful 2018 run for governor. “Ron has not said a single word and they think smartly that Tuesday’s huge win allows him to just keep talking about his record without having to acknowledge Trump. … It’s 1,000 percent the correct move,” Lawson said of DeSantis. “Trump just keeps throwing boomerangs.”

‘BRING IT ON’— Trump plows forward, GOP critics be damned, by POLITICO’s Meredith McGraw: Though he is prone to change his mind, former President Donald Trump, officials say, has been unpersuaded by arguments that he should hold off on making an announcement until after the mid-December runoff election in Georgia. Rather than being chastened by GOP criticism of the role he played in the Republican Party’s lackluster midterm elections, he has cast blame elsewhere and taken swipes at a potential rival. He is confident he will emerge intact from this moment. One adviser said Trump views the current situation as reminiscent of 2015 and 2016, when the doubts about his political potency were pervasive, including within his party. “It’s at their own peril,” the adviser said of the critics piling on Trump. “Bring it on.”

ASCENDANT — “DeSantis’ landslide catapults him into spotlight as GOP’s Trump alternative,” by Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos, Bianca Padró Ocasio, Alex Roarty and Mary Ellen Klas: “Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decisive victory and Republicans’ lackluster performance elsewhere in the country have become fodder for conservatives, who are increasingly casting doubt over former President Donald Trump’s influence over the party and wondering if DeSantis may have a more effective playbook. DeSantis’ commanding win in Florida — where he led Republican gains in every county, including reliably Democratic counties — gave the governor a lonely but national platform as a potential party leader. In the aftermath of the election, conservative media outlets declared Trump the party’s ‘biggest loser’ on Election Night and characterized DeSantis as ‘DeFUTURE’ — reaction that Trump did not appreciate.”

— The GOP case against Trump 2024, by POLITICO’s Charlie Mahtesian

GETTING CREDIT — DeSantis-drawn maps help GOP hold majority if they win the House, by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon: During the once-in-a-decade process, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a map drawn by the Florida Legislature, which is dominated by Republicans and stocked with DeSantis allies. The DeSantis-crafted plan boosted Republican leaning seats to 20 out of 28, four more than the plan drawn by GOP lawmakers. Those four additional seats will now help Republicans pad their likely slim majority. “Republicans in Congress owe a big thank you to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose insistence on redrawing the state’s congressional districts led to a four-seat pickup in the U.S. House on Tuesday,” said Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Florida Republican who could serve as chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee after Republicans assume control of the chamber.

THE SCOTT FILES— Rick Scott was prepared to take on McConnell — until Tuesday, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin: Sen. Rick Scott of Florida was poised to challenge McConnell, Republicans briefed on his plans told me, until he decided against a bid Wednesday morning, when it became clear Republicans may not capture the majority and there was to be a Senate runoff in Georgia.Scott had cut an announcement video declaring his intentions, word had reached some prominent conservatives outside the Senate and a handful of GOP senators had gotten wind of his plan and started calculating just how many votes his longshot campaign could accrue at the leadership vote next week in the Capitol.

BIG SHIFT— “How Florida, the nation’s biggest swing state, turned deep red,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Emily L. Mahoney and Kirby Wilson: “It’s a transformation that’s been underway for years. This week’s midterm results signaled perhaps the official end of Florida’s status as a purple state. More than a week before Election Day, infighting among top Democrats had spilled into public view, with some of the candidates for key positions openly questioning the state party. ‘They pull resources from us, and it makes it very, very difficult for us to be successful,’ said Book, D-Plantation, who’s in charge of electing Senate Democrats. She was talking about the Florida Democratic Party.”

— “Matt Gaetz picks Donald Trump over Ron DeSantis in 2024,” by Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski

— “As Florida Democrats confront losses, Tampa organizers are undeterred,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Lauren Peace

UNWELCOME VISITOR — “Nicole leaves 4 dead in Orange County, wreaks havoc on coast,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Skyler Swisher and Stephen Hudak: “Nicole, as a hurricane and then tropical storm, tore through Central Florida on Thursday, leaving at least four dead, sending coastal homes crumbling into the ocean in Volusia County and washing out a part of the scenic A1A highway along the Atlantic. The rare November system delivered another blow to areas still recovering from Hurricane Ian, which hit in late September. Nicole turned deadly when a downed power line electrocuted two people in the Conway community, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Another two people died in a car crash on Florida’s Turnpike during the storm, Orange County officials said. Those fatalities are considered by county officials to be ‘probable storm-related’ and are awaiting official confirmation.”

— “Martin County officials investigating possible exposed Native American burial ground,” by Treasure Coast Newspapers Mauricio LaPlante

THE AGENDA — Republicans control Florida. DeSantis will use them to build his 2024 resume, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout: With a looming presidential campaign on the horizon, Gov. Ron DeSantis will now be able to turn to state lawmakers to give him legislative and policy victories that he can use in a highly competitive Republican primary against Trump if both men run for president in 2024. “He will have an entirely subservient Republican Legislature to continue as his testing lab to distinguish himself from other likely ’24 primary opponents,” said state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democratic legislator. “If legislation is well-received he’ll take the credit, and if it’s not he’ll lay blame on the Legislature.”

Response— GOP state Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, the next Senate president, disagreed sharply with that assertion. “I think the next two years will be more collaboration than anything else,” Passidomo said. “If the governor has an initiative that can be done a better way, or don’t agree with, I will be happy to talk to him. I have a lot of respect for him, and he has lot of respect for me.” Passidomo added that “we think a lot alike. We have different styles but we have similar philosophies.”

ON THE LIST?— “Florida legislative leaders say they are prepared to further restrict abortions,” by Miami Herald’s Mary Ellen Klas: “Supercharged by a supermajority in the House and Senate, Florida legislative leaders broke their silence Wednesday and confirmed they are prepared to further tighten abortion restrictions in Florida in the next year. But how far they will go is the big question, and interviews with the presiding officers indicate they already appear to be taking different approaches. Incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo told the Miami Herald/Tampa Bay Times in an interview that she wants to see the 15-week ban approved last year by lawmakers reduced to 12 weeks with the addition of an exclusion for rape and incest, which is currently not allowed.”

RESUME TIME— DeSantis announces three transition chairs, by POLITICO’s Matt Dixon: On the heels of his massive reelection win, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced the chairs of his newly formed transition committee. The trio includes former chiefs of staff Shane Strum, who was DeSantis’ first chief of staff and now president and CEO of Broward Health, and Adrian Lukis, who joined the Ballard Partners lobbying firm after exiting the administration. The third chair is Scott Wagner, a staunch DeSantis ally and chair of the South Florida Water Management Board.

REBUTTAL— “Feds push back in legal fight over Florida prescription drug importation,” by News Service of Florida’s Jim Saunders: “The Biden administration this week asked a judge to reject allegations that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ‘dragged its feet’ on a Florida proposal to import prescription drugs from Canada and has not properly complied with a public-records request. U.S. Department of Justice attorneys filed a 27-page document that pushed back against a lawsuit the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration filed in August to try to spur a decision on the importation proposal and to obtain a series of records.”

SLAM — “Judge slaps sanctions on Trump lawyers for ‘frivolous’ Clinton lawsuit, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney: A federal judge on Thursday excoriated and sanctioned several members of Donald Trump’s legal team, saying the former president’s massive lawsuit against his former rival, Hillary Clinton, and dozens of other adversaries amounted to an intentional abuse of the legal system. “These were political grievances masquerading as legal claims,” said U.S. District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks, a Florida-based jurist who dismissed Trump’s lawsuit in September. “This cannot be attributed to incompetent lawyering. It was a deliberate use of the judicial system to pursue a political agenda.” Middlebrooks ordered the attorneys to pay $50,000 to the court and more than $16,000 in legal fees to Charles Dolan, one of the defendants, who initiated the sanctions proceedings against Trump’s attorneys.

A NO VOTE — “Gaetz rages against McCarthy, urges Republicans to withhold support for speaker bid,” by Washington Times’ Kerry Picket: “Rep. Matt Gaetz bashed House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday night and told his fellow Republicans that they should not back the California lawmaker as House speaker. Mr. Gaetz, Florida Republican, endorsed Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, for the position when Republicans take control of the House in January as expected. ‘I prefer Ohio’s Jim Jordan. And it is not always easy for a guy from the deep south to be for someone from a Big 10 state,’ Mr. Gaetz said on his podcast ‘Firebrand with Matt Gaetz.’”

‘SUBSTANTIALLY ASSISTED’ — “Government requests lighter sentence for Joel Greenberg, citing cooperation,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Jeff Weiner: “Prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence Joel Greenberg to less than the mandatory 12-year prison sentence he faces for sex trafficking and other charges, citing the former Seminole County tax collector’s help in building cases against some of his former associates. Greenberg has “provided truthful and timely information to the United States which, in part, resulted in the charging of others and that has substantially assisted in the investigation and prosecution of other persons,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Daniels wrote in a motion filed Thursday.”

FALLOUT— “Arena naming deal, funding for county youth program at risk if FTX ends in crypto crash,” by Miami Herald’s Douglas Hanks: “FTX, the crypto-currency company whose name is on the Miami Heat’s arena, is facing a financial meltdown just weeks away from an annual deadline to pay $5.5 million to the team’s landlord, Miami-Dade County. Less than two years ago, an affiliate of FTX signed a 19-year sponsorship deal for the county-owned arena where the Miami Heat play, an agreement worth $135 million to the county and the team. For the county’s $90 million share of money, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava launched a neighborhood safety campaign against youth gun violence dubbed the ‘Peace and Prosperity Plan.’”

— “Section of destroyed shuttle Challenger found on ocean floor,” by The Associated Press’ Marcia Dunn: “A large section of the destroyed space shuttle Challenger has been found buried in sand at the bottom of the Atlantic, more than three decades after the tragedy that killed a schoolteacher and six others. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center announced the discovery Thursday. ‘Of course, the emotions come back, right?’ said Michael Ciannilli, a NASA manager who confirmed the remnant’s authenticity. When he saw the underwater video footage, ‘My heart skipped a beat, I must say, and it brought me right back to 1986 ... and what we all went through as a nation.’ It’s one of the biggest pieces of Challenger found in the decades since the accident, according to Ciannilli, and the first remnant to be discovered since two fragments from the left wing washed ashore in 1996.”

BIRTHDAYS: Tallahassee Democrat's TaMaryn Waters ... author and Florida man chronicler Craig Pittman ... former Rep. Corrine Brown … Rene Rodriguez, manager of the Bill Cosford Cinema at the University of Miami

(Saturday) State Sen. Nick DiCeglie … former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp ... Linda Shelley, former chief of staff for Gov. Lawton Chiles ... Taylor Patrick Biehl of Capitol Alliance Group ... Florida Politics’ Gray Rohrer

(Sunday) State Rep. Sam Garrison … Mark Delegal, partner at Delegal Aubuchon Consulting