Speaking on Friday, at the Heritage Foundation Leadership Summit at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida warned about the 2024 elections before a crowd of over 1,000 top conservative activists, leaders and officials. DeSantis headlined the closing session of the conference emphasizing that the "left is playing for keeps."
The popular two-term conservative governor, declared-
"If you look at what happens in 2024 — if the Democrats are able to sweep all the offices, president, Senate, and House — what will they do with that power? They will try to pack the U.S. Supreme Court. They will try to abolish the Electoral College. They will try to make Washington, D.C., a state, so they get two left-wing senators, virtually for life, and they will try to eliminate voter ID across this country and mandate ballot harvesting in every state of the union.”…charging…”"that’s not an agenda that’s speaking to the aspirations of the average American. It’s an agenda that a political movement is pursuing to try and block the conservative half of the country out of power, to try to keep our voices from being heard.’’
-Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida
Over the past three years, DeSantis, formerly a congressman, has seen his popularity soar among conservatives, across the nation. This is largely due to his aggressive actions as a conservative culture warrior going after media, corporations and teachers' unions and forcefully pushing back against coronavirus pandemic restrictions. Currently, most opinion polls have DeSantis in second place, trailing only former President Donald Trump, with all others in the field of actual and potential contenders, in single digits.
Expected to announce his run in 2024 for president soon, the governor made no reference to his own plans at the event, other than to repeat his often-used line that "freedom is worth fighting for" and "we have only begun to fight." However, behind the scenes, he’s already been setting up movement toward launching a campaign, including beefing up his staff in Tallahassee. He has also made campaign-style visits, to the first three states to vote in the GOP presidential nominating calendar, Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,
Highlighting his "Florida blueprint" and promoting his newly released memoir, "The Courage to Be Free." DeSantis continues to tout his sweeping 19-point re-election victory last November. He also continues to share his positive record in Florida, boasting that "Florida is fastest-growing state in the country, “ and underscoring his recent conservative legislative victories, courtesy of a Republican super-majority state House.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation President, says the GOP base is looking for “the most conservative, optimistic person, who can win” in 2024. When asked about DeSantis, Roberts said, -
"We think what Gov. DeSantis has done in Florida is a blueprint for every state. Maybe it’s a blueprint for the country. Conservative voters, American voters, may get the opportunity to weigh in."
-Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation President
Roberts also spotlighted the pivotal policy role that his foundation, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is currently playing. He said-.
"Does 2024, does 2028, does the future of America of run through Heritage? Absolutely,"
-Kevin Roberts, Heritage Foundation President
Ammar Moussa, Democratic National Committee Spokesperson, lost no time in taking aim at DeSantis, reportedly arguing in a statement to Fox News-
"it only took a week after signing an abortion ban, behind closed doors and in the middle of the night, for Ron DeSantis to finally brag about it. Democrats will ensure voters hear not only about Ron DeSantis' abortion ban that will have devastating impacts on Florida girls and women, but also the exceedingly extreme and out of step abortion records of MAGA Republicans, including Donald Trump, who are hellbent on banning abortion across the country."
-Ammar Moussa, Democratic National Committee Spokesperson
Trump, has for months now, repeatedly targeted DeSantis. Once again, on Friday, Trump’s campaign took shots at the Florida governor, accusing DeSantis of spending "more time playing public relations games instead of actually doing the hard-work needed to improve the lives of the people he represents." DeSantis on the other hand is not openly criticizing Trump at this time.
In a race that appears to be heating up, the GOP nominee for the party’s 2024 Presidential contender, will be the one with a positive, yet unyielding message of putting America first – everything else will come after. Furthermore, America needs to seriously consider what DeSantis is warning – that as a nation, we can’t afford to yield even an inch to the left. They do not know how to compromise. As DeSantis said, the Democratic left, are looking hard for ways to discredit anyone in the GOP, who looks like they may be pitted against Joe Biden. They are truly “playing for keeps”.
“We are bound by ideals that teach us what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught these ideals. Every citizen must uphold them. … I ask you to be citizens. Citizens, not spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens building communities of service and a nation of character.”
-George W. Bush