A behind-the-scenes account shows Gov. Ron DeSantis personally offered the University of Florida presidency to Princeton professor Robert P. George, who declined and recommended another conservative, Donald Landry. Sources tell The Chronicle the episode exposed fractures among Florida higher-education power brokers and signaled a shift in who holds sway over flagship hiring decisions. The episode followed the rejection of Santa J. Ono and highlighted the growing role of partisan politics and high-profile donors in public university leadership searches. Trustees, governors, and university presidents are now operating in a far more politicized selection environment.