Insiders reveal how ‘Queen of Camelot 2.0’ Casey DeSantis is Ron’s secret ‘campaign’ weapon

RFK Jr. may be running for president — but it’s one of his potential rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose wife is being touted as the new queen of Camelot.

Casey DeSantis, the one-time Jacksonville TV anchor and breast cancer survivor who married DeSantis in 2009, invoked comparisons to Jackie Kennedy Onassis on the couple’s trip to Japan this week.

“Casey DeSantis the “Queen of Camelot 2.0.” read one of numerous tweets about Florida’s 42-year-old first lady, who insiders say has upped her fashion game and political savvy since her husband first took office — and as he is widely expected to formally announce his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

“The whole family reminds me of the Kennedys — totally poised and comfortable in front of the camera,” one former political operative told The Post last November.

In Japan on Monday, Casey put her evolving and attention-getting fashion sense on full display: wearing a peplum-enhanced white suit with a bold floral print for her daytime look, followed by a powder-blue evening gown featuring a dramatic cape and bedazzled epaulets.

DeSantis, his wife and their three young children traveled to Japan as part of a four-country trade mission, with planned stops in South Korea, Israel and the UK.

And Casey commanded the camera — solidifying her reputation not only as her husband’s “secret weapon,” but also as a force in her own right.

“This is a woman who really rises to the occasion, whether it’s gracefully battling a serious cancer scare or being on the world stage,” Tracy Caruso, the wife of Florida State Rep. Mike Caruso who has spent time with Casey, told The Post Tuesday. “Everyone saw the Jackie O comparison when her husband was re-elected but she’s so much more than that.”

Caruso said she attended the annual state legislature spouse’s luncheon overseen by Casey, while the first lady was in the middle of being treated for breast cancer in 2021 and 2022.

“She sat at my table for 45 minutes and I had a long talk with her and what she had gone through. It was very important to her to tell people to get tested and get mammograms. She’s young. it’s not something she expected to have happen,” Caruso said. “But she handled it well and came out the other side. It says a lot about her strength and character.”

Casey’s potential as a major political asset has not been lost on her husband’s team.

“She’s definitely seen as an asset to the governor, and I think it’s pretty clear why,” a source in Florida told The Post. “She’s composed and easygoing, but also glamorous and stately when appropriate. There was a decision made to feature her in the foreground over the last year — more press conferences, more visibility, more social media activity. That’s not going to change, you’re going to see more of it.”

DeSantis has called his wife his “best friend and best supporter” but insiders say she is a valued adviser as well.

After being largely absent on Fox News in 2019, DeSantis returned to TV at the request of his wife. “Casey would say, ‘We have to get him on Mark Levin and “Hannity” once a week,’” an aide told The New York Times last year. “‘Frequency is very important.’”

Casey is also viewed as more relatable than Melania Trump.

“She’s well spoken — Casey was a newscaster, she knows how to speak to people,” a longtime Republican activist from Palm Beach said of the former Golf Channel personality. “She dresses fancy but is very approachable. She’s smart. She’s even a little street smart. She’s behind that man. She shows up with the children, it’s what decent people want to see. They’re very clear about their message: we are about families. She is a mother first, but she is backing that husband. She is really the complete package.”

Casey’s former co-workers told Vanity Fair earlier this year: “I remember I once said [to a colleague], ‘Casey wants to be a senator’s wife.”‘And he said, ‘No, she fully intends on being a president’s wife.’”

A veteran Republican operative who has known the couple since 2011 said she has always been struck by Casey’s “self-discipline.”

“She always looked perfect,” the operative said. “Every time I saw her she wore such an adorable dress. She must have had 300 dresses and matching shoes. She told me she orders her clothes online as she has no time. She also said she learned to do her own makeup from being on TV. She is very disciplined, almost regimented. She always has a goal and a focus.”

Another Florida political observer told The Post Casey has made great fashion strides.

“The second time around, her clothes got much more sophisticated. She started looking like Jackie only relatively recently but I don’t think it was on purpose,” the observer said. “It was just a natural evolution.”

DeSantis said his foreign trip is aimed at strengthening economic relationships and demonstrating Florida’s position as an economic leader.

In the coming days, DeSantis — who is traveling with state officials and his wife — is expected to meet with South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

During the Israel leg of his trip, DeSantis will deliver a keynote address Thursday at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the nation’s founding.