DeSantis Issues Warning To Republicans Ahead Of Midterms

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OPINION: This article contains commentary which may reflect the author’s opinion

This past weekend Florida was the place to be if you are a Republican.

And, it seems some liberals were clamoring to get in as well.

On the west coast, Former President Donald Trump spoke in Tampa at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit.

Turning Point USA is an organization for conservative youth and young adults.

In his 90-minute speech, Trump summed up the disastrous state of the U.S. leadership by saying, “We are a nation that in many ways has become a joke.”

The Miami Herald wrote,” He ridiculed climate activists, said ‘marxist teachers’ are brainwashing public school students and continued to call the press ‘the enemy of the people.’”

Trump mocked the congressional hearing which is determined to lay blame at his feet for the Jan 6 events at the Capitol.

“If I announce I was not going to run for office the persecution of Donald Trump would immediately stop, trump declared, adding “But that’s what they want me to do and you know what? There’s just no chance I do that.”

Meanwhile, on the east coast, The Sunshine Summit was a pep rally for Republicans, not that they need much prompting coming into the midterm elections.

With President Biden’s ratings sunken to lower than 31 percent and 71 percent of Americans displeased with his running again, the field is wide open for the Republican Party to gain offices.

The Summit was a gathering of movers and shakers from all over Florida, and national names as well.

At the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, the Florida gathering hosted keynote speakers governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Marco Rubio, and Attorney general Ashley Moody.

Florida Republicans had determined ahead of time that the state’s big election year summit would be “invite only” for media.

Inviting those who would report fairly seemed to make the gathering more inviting to others who previously would not care.

Reporters from outlets like The Daily Wire, The Washington Free Beacon, Americano Media, and Florida’s Voice were invited to attend the event.

Politico’s Matt Dixon tweeted a private list of press approved for the event, sparking criticism from reporters who were not invited, but wished to attend.

“It’s funny that the very reporters who were uninterested in the Sunshine Summit were the same ones huddled in a corner across from the entrance hoping for a peek,” campaign spokesman Dave Abrams told The Daily Wire.

“We aren’t bothered by their tantrums — in fact it validates our presumption that fair coverage was never a thought for them,” he added.

Governor Ron DeSantis remarked on the strategy to keep the gathering focused.

“I’m not going to have a bunch of left-wing media asking our primary candidates a bunch of gotcha questions,” DeSantis told a packed crowd on Saturday morning.

The Florida governor spoke at the Sunshine Summit’s Victory Dinner following a day of debates and speeches from Florida politicians and high-profile conservatives.

He pointed Republicans to the biggest issues Florida has faced over the past few years, such as COVID, the border crisis, Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, inflation, and more.

Florida has met each of these issues head-on, DeSantis said. But he warned politicians that liberal activists and media seek to “muddy the waters” and “create a blizzard of lies to blind all of us from what’s actually going on.”

“In times like these, it’s not enough to just be right on the issues,” he said. “Because in times like these, there’s no substitute for courage. You got to have the courage of your convictions to be willing to stand up against the media. You got to have the courage to stand up against things like cancel culture. You got to have the courage to stand up to the woke mob. You got to have the courage to stand in the way of the Brandon administration.”

The governor believes things are looking favorable for Republicans.

“Even people that are not Republicans, and even people that have been voting for Democrats … they see, in their own life, the effect of Biden’s policies. And so they are dissatisfied. And so we have an opportunity to build a massive coalition here in the state of Florida, and I think it’s there for the taking.”

“But you got to be ready for battle,” he warned. “So put on the full armor of God.”

DeSantis warned Florida Republicans to ready themselves for the oncoming battle of the 2022 midterm elections, and the 2024 presidential election to follow, citing freedom as the cause to embrace.

“We are just getting warmed up,” he told the cheering crowd. “I have only begun to fight. I’m standing my ground, walking the line all the way to the finish line, and I can tell you this: with your help, and everybody behind us, there is no doubt in my mind that come November, we are going to keep the state of Florida free.”

Source: The Republic Brief