I can't tell where the current fascists and racists actually are for the same reason that I can't tell who actually believes the Big Lie.

There's a portion of the far-right base who are fascists and/or racists, who are doubly emboldened by quasi-support by Trump (mostly lack of condemnation--he won't condemn anyone who seems to support him, and will give out "very fine people" like candy to the same!), and by the Democrats' embrace of "racism" to cover everything and the kitchen sink thereby taking almost all the sting out of the appellation (and most of the ability to easily distinguish the truly awful from the mildly indifferent). These people are legitimately scary, apparently growing in power, and it's very hard to tell how many of them there are. But there aren't very many because the Right realizes they can use them to bait the Left into blasting moderates as "racists", which the Left does with gleeful abandon, after which the Right pulls out its "look, it was just ordinary hardworking Americans all along" card. So they not only give the legitimately hateful and scary folks a pass, they actually help them along because, well, anything stick it to the libs, right? If it makes them so frantic, it's gotta be something good.

Likewise with the Big Lie. A lot of Republicans realize that the electoral system was absolutely fine, but the message plays well with the conspiracy theorists who otherwise might stay home during elections because Republicans are also part of the scary Establishment which is up to all kinds of no good. (It's always funny when one of them is caught admitting on tape that they know it's bogus.) And, better yet, it sends "the libs" into fits. So cool! Who cares if it's a pack of lies undermining the basis of peaceful rule in the country, when you can use it to own the libs!

So there are a small number of people with horrible beliefs, and a lot more who are willing to believe comforting fiction about their political tribe, and a heck of a lot of politicians willing to exploit it for all it's worth, thereby making everything worse.

So--DeSantis. Is he an exploiter, or does he actually believe that stuff? I don't know. But again, I don't think it has very much to do with Obama. It's not that there was no racist backlash against Obama, but I think the other trends are far more powerful. Indeed, I think in some ways Obama's helped to hold back the tide of problematic attitudes on the Right by consistently delivering thoughtful, measured statements that uphold the dignity of everyone.

People on the Right get a lot more flustered when Robin DiAngelo speaks than when President Obama does.