Gov. Ron DeSantis took some fresh cuts at his favorite blue pinata — New York State — while signing off on Florida’s new budget Monday.
The Sunshine State Republican renewed his mockery of Gotham mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, predicting an exodus from the five boroughs if the Democratic Socialist moves into Gracie Mansion.
DeSantis contrasted Florida’s population gains with New York’s losses — and again forecast a fresh outbound stampede should Mamdani win in November.
“If they elect this guy, it’s going to decline even more,” DeSantis said with a derisive laugh.
The governor touted Florida’s progress on paying down state debt, contrasting it with what he called New York’s fiscal profligacy.
“I could probably extinguish the other half if I just charge an entry tax for all the people who are going to flee this guy,” he quipped, referring to the potential mayoral candidate. “Especially the rich people.”
Though New York has fewer residents, DeSantis noted it runs a budget twice the size of Florida’s.
“And yet we do better services, better infrastructure, and higher-performing education,” he said. “Where is all that money going? A lot of it, quite frankly, is going to entrenched interests.”
DeSantis also pointed to Florida’s distinction as the state with the lowest number of employees per capita.
His remarks continue a long-running critique of New York, which he has repeatedly held up as a cautionary tale amid Florida’s growth and fiscal policies.
