Gov. DeSantis pledges military-style ‘Mission First’ at pre-debate rally.
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla.—Getting Ready for the Republican Debate with a Beach Party
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis knows how to prepare for a big event. In anticipation of the Republican debate on August 23, he threw a lively beach party in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
About 1,100 guests, dressed in casual attire, gathered behind The Gulf restaurant to beat the scorching 90-degree heat with cold drinks and good company. The atmosphere was electric, with rock music blaring in the background, including Tom Petty’s iconic anthem “I Won’t Back Down.” It was a fitting choice, considering that DeSantis’s political action committee is named “Never Back Down.”
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Contrary to typical political events, this beach party was attended mostly by locals who had never been to a political rally before. Many of them had heard about the event through advertisements or personal invitations.
Donna Paradise, a resident of Fort Walton Beach, explained her decision to attend: “I heard on the radio that DeSantis was going to be here. So I went online to check out the situation and got myself a ticket. It’s my first time at a political rally. At any time in my entire life.”
Donna’s motivation to attend was driven by the opportunity presented to her, as well as the recent milestone of her triplet grandbabies turning 5 and starting kindergarten. As a former special education teacher, she had quit her job to help take care of them. Her daughter, a military wife, resides near Eglin Air Force Base.
During our conversation, Donna’s adorable Shih Tzu-poodle mix, Riley, dozed off in a stroller beside her.
Fort Walton Beach, located in the Florida Panhandle, is known for its conservative leanings. Governor DeSantis acknowledged the importance of this region in delivering victories for Republicans in closely contested elections. He won the governor’s seat in 2018 by a narrow margin and secured a landslide reelection last year.
The event was organized by DeSantis’s campaign to highlight his military service. If elected, he would become the first president since George H.W. Bush to have served in a war. DeSantis, a veteran himself, emphasized the mission he shares with the military community in Northwest Florida: “We are sending Joe Biden back to his basement.”
During his speech, DeSantis reiterated his commitment to fulfilling campaign promises. He pledged to invalidate President Biden’s executive orders, fire FBI Director Christopher Wray, and address the nation’s excessive spending, which he referred to as “Bidenflation.” He also vowed to secure the southern border and take decisive action against Mexican drug cartels, stating, “When they try to bring fentanyl across the border when I am president, we are going to shoot them stone cold dead.”
The crowd erupted in applause, clearly appreciating DeSantis’s strong stance on border security. He also criticized COVID-19 lockdown policies that disrupted children’s education and devastated small businesses. DeSantis promised justice and accountability, declaring that he would never rely on Dr. Anthony Fauci and would prioritize the safety of American citizens.
DeSantis condemned woke prosecutors who refuse to enforce the law, making cities unsafe, and expressed his opposition to the infiltration of woke ideology in the military and public school education. He emphasized the need to prioritize the military’s mission over unnecessary distractions, such as pronoun training.
If elected, DeSantis pledged to remove woke influences from the military and restore a focus on “mission first.” His speech resonated with the crowd, who cheered and fist-bumped in agreement.
As the event concluded, it was evident that Governor DeSantis had successfully energized his supporters and set the stage for the upcoming debate. With his unwavering commitment to conservative values and his determination to deliver on his promises, DeSantis left no doubt that he is a force to be reckoned with in the political arena.
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