EXCLUSIVE: Ron DeSantis’ book BEATs Obama, Pence and Trump for most copies sold by competitor in first week – as more fans flock to his signatures and await his 2024 announcement
- Ron DeSantis sold 94,284 copies of his memoir in the first week of publication
- That’s the most of any potential presidential candidate in recent history
- Barack Obama is 2nd, Mike Pence 4th and Trump 6th with his 2016 book
Ron DeSantis’ book sales add to his national recognition after selling more copies of his new memoirs in the first week they came out than those published by Barack Obama and Donald Trump before their candidacies.
Bookscan figures shared with DailyMail.com ahead of its public release reveal DeSantis sold 94,284 copies of The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival within seven days of its Feb. 28 release.
The second closest for books of pre-presidential announcements is more than 27,500 behind sales at DeSantis.
Obama’s 2006 book, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, reached 66,766 purchases in its first week on sale.
DeSantis is currently on tour promoting his book — but many see the campaign-like events as a precursor to a presidential bid announcement.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis topped the first-week sales charts for a book by a future presidential candidate before officially announcing a race. Pictured: DeSantis holds his memoir during the final leg of the book tour in Clearwater, Florida
DeSantis’ book tour stops are more reminiscent of presidential campaign rallies. Pictured: DeSantis signs books and takes selfies with attendees at his event in Clearwater, Florida on Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Barack Obama’s 2006 book The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream generated 66,766 purchases in the first week on sale – ranking second in sales for a future presidential candidate, but 27,500 behind DeSantis sales
Several polls show he is currently the candidate most likely to be able to beat Trump in a primary election in 2024. And many of those polls even show him beating the former president in a head-to-head hypothetical.
Trump’s pre-announcement book Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America released in 2016 generated just 27,686 sales in the first week after its release.
The former president’s book ranks sixth overall compared to first-week sales of other politicians who wrote books before announcing their candidacy for the White House.
He fell behind former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Unsurprisingly, their books have gained immense popularity considering they were published after the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack and after Trump’s 2020 presidential defeat. Many wanted to see if there was any information on the administration revealed in the books of Pence and Pompeo.
In Clearwater, Fla., on Wednesday, DeSantis staff handed out books to attendees at a rally of at least 1,000 supporters who turned up at a country dance and live music venue to hear the governor speak.
Following his remarks, the governor stayed to take selfies with attendees and sign their copies of his book.
The book tour also took DeSantis to California’s Reagan Library on Sunday and will continue to Iowa and Nevada – the first two states in the primary contest – this week and weekend.
Staff handed out copies of DeSantis’ book The Courage to be Free ahead of his remarks to a crowd of around 1,000 supporters
The Florida plan is what DeSantis uses to pitch a potential presidential candidate platform. He says the way he governed in the Sunshine State should be applied nationally and to other states.
Specifically, it refers to expanded freedoms such as the removal of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions and the responsibility of “woke” corporations, entities, and educators to advance an agenda about children or the public rather than providing the services for which they are intended.
Surprisingly, the third best-selling pre-presidential book of the first week comes from Ben Carson, whose book A More Perfect Union: What We the People Can Do to Reclaim Our Constitutional Liberties sold 37,924 copies in the first week. .
Carson then served as Trump’s housing and urban development secretary after gaining little ground in the 2016 Republican primary campaign.
Former Vice President Mike Pence ranks fourth in book sales. He reached nearly 37,600 sales of his 2022 book So Help Me God. It’s neither shocking that Pence’s sales were in the top five of potential presidential hopefuls considering he was No. 2 to one of the most controversial presidents in US history.
