DeSantis Calls Midterm Losses Near Extinction-Level Event For GOP, Criticizes Epstein Files Votes And Stock Trading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (VINnews) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday described the Republican Party’s midterm election results as close to an “extinction-level event” for the GOP in many parts of the country, while criticizing congressional Republicans for votes against releasing Jeffrey Epstein-related records and for members trading individual stocks.
Speaking at a news conference in Tallahassee, DeSantis said Democrats’ gains in Congress and in longtime Republican strongholds amounted to a rejection of what was happening in Washington rather than an endorsement of Democratic policies. Florida Republicans held statewide offices, including the governorship with Byron Donalds and a U.S. Senate seat with Ashley Moody, though margins were narrower than in recent cycles. DeSantis credited the state’s record and the passage of Amendment 3 on property taxes with helping the party withstand a national shift.
On the Epstein files, DeSantis said he saw campaign ads targeting lawmakers who voted against releasing the records. “That’s a bad vote,” he said. “We ran as Republicans saying we need to do that. And you have people in Congress voting against release when the Attorney General said she had all this horrific stuff on her desk and that people are gonna be held accountable. It’s untenable.”
He also criticized members of Congress who trade stocks, noting that some appear to outperform experienced investors despite little prior financial background. DeSantis said he has not traded stocks since entering elected office and has long supported greater transparency or restrictions on such trading to restore public confidence. He has previously backed state-level measures requiring Florida congressional candidates to disclose their intentions on individual stock trading.
DeSantis warned that Democratic control of both chambers could complicate confirmations of Supreme Court justices and Cabinet officials and affect the balance of power for years. He said the results would reverberate beyond the next two years and urged the party to focus on issues such as affordability and government accountability.
The comments were widely circulated on social media after the press conference.
