- DeSantis took aim at California Gov. Gavin Newsom on his home-turf on Sunday
- ‘I know you’ve got a lot of problems out here, but your governor is very concerned about what we are doing in Florida, so I figured I had to come by’
- Florida’s governor is traveling the country promoting his new book, which is fueling speculation he could launch a bid for president soon
‘I know you’ve got a lot of problems out here, but your governor is very concerned about what we are doing in Florida so I figured I had to come by,’ DeSantis joked at the top of his remarks at the Ronald Reagan Library to a crowd of more than 1,300.
Newsom has specifically taken aim at Florida in recent years with the rise of DeSantis in the national limelight.
The Dem governor came under fire this week for leaving California for ‘personal travel’ on Friday – two days after declaring a state of emergency in the wake of a huge snowstorm which dumped 17 feet of snow. His press office did not disclose where exactly he had traveled to and he was expected to return to California on Sunday.
DeSantis’ tour around the country promoting his new book, including the stop in California, is only fueling speculation that he is moving closer toward announcing a candidacy for president. The Florida governor is making a trip to the first-in-the-nation primary contest state of Iowa on Friday.
‘When I tell you I’m going to do something, I do it,’ DeSantis insisted to a sold-out crowd. ‘I don’t waffle.’
The Florida governor was in Simi Valley at the Ronald Reagan library to promote his new book The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival. He arrived Sunday afternoon with his wife and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis and their two eldest children Madison, 6, and Mason, 4. Their youngest, Mamie, was not in tow.
DeSantis spent his speech on issues that are likely to be the cornerstone of a presidential platform – education and parental rights, not bowing to ‘woke’ institutions and taking on spiking crime.