Republican losses are an 'extinction-level event', says Florida Governor DeSantis

Florida's outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis has described the Republicans' sweeping losses in the United States midterm elections as 'close to an extinction-level event'. At a news conference on Wednesday, he said Republicans had been nearly wiped out nationally after devastating losses, while highlighting his own state of Florida as the party's lone remaining stronghold.

DeSantis said: 'This is close to an extinction-level event for Republicans. Out of the 10 largest states in this union, only one state will have Republican control of their state, the state of Florida.'

Tuesday was a brutal night for Republicans. The Trump movement faced major questions amid setbacks in longtime Republican strongholds such as Kansas and Texas, while holding Senate seats in West Virginia and deep-red Wyoming and South Dakota.

On his own state, DeSantis added: 'We've built up a record of achievement. We've earned trust from a number of our voters that, even in the worst situation that you can imagine politically, we were able to hold the line.'

Orlando-based political strategist and pollster Doug Kaplan told Fox News Digital that DeSantis appears to be eyeing a lasting role on the national stage. 'I think last night was a big night for DeSantis. If you're looking at winners on the Republican side, then I think he's found his lane if he wants to run for president in 2028,' he said.

Kaplan characterised DeSantis's comments as an 'opening salvo' in an effort to distance himself from the Trump-led status quo in the Republican Party, though he acknowledged the staying power of Trump's MAGA movement among Republican primary voters.

DeSantis also highlighted his own push in Florida for 'affordability', the election-cycle buzzword.

Amendment 3 passed with about 62 percent of the vote on Tuesday. It increases homestead property tax exemptions from $50,000 to $250,000 by 2028. DeSantis said the existence of Amendment 3 on the ballot was one of the reasons Florida averted the fate of other red states, because it drew more voters to the polls, highlighting an issue on which Republicans still won decisively.

Kaplan predicted Vice President JD Vance and Senator Ted Cruz may also follow DeSantis's tack. Both men saw their party take major losses in their home states, he noted, citing Vance's former Senate seat going to Democrat Sherrod Brown.

On the losses in Texas, DeSantis highlighted them without referencing Cruz: 'Texas has been the most significant Republican state this century. A Democrat sweep of statewide races - and possible capture of the legislature - takes away one of the anchors of the modern GOP. A huge loss,' DeSantis said, echoing his point that Florida remains the only one of the 10 most populous states with a Republican governor.