WATCH: Casey DeSantis Makes First Public Appearance Since Cancer Revelation, Galvanizes Crowd

Making a surprise public appearance after her husband, Florida GOP governor Ron DeSantis, announced she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis stated: “I think there’s a lot that we can be upset about, that we can be sad about. The direction of our country; the future of our nation, our families, our communities, our safety, our children, their education, their futures, our health, and our well-being. And I’ll tell you one thing that’s for sure: I’m sure as hell not giving up.”

Appearing at the Hernando County Republican Party Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner on Saturday, Governor DeSantis stood at the lectern, where he told the crowd, “Probably the most important person who has stood by me is our wonderful First Lady.”

As that triggered a standing ovation, DeSantis continued, “I just want to thank you for all the thoughts and prayers. I trust in the Lord. I know how tough she is. She’s doing very, very well; in fact,  she’s doing so well that she wanted to come here tonight and say hello to you. And so, here she is.”

That triggered another emotional standing ovation as Casey DeSantis took the microphone from her husband and joked, “Well, I hear when you get a standing ovation before you even walk in the door you should probably just leave, right,” eliciting laughter.

“But I just want to say God bless you and thank you. And thank you for the pins. And thank you for, what you’ve done, gosh it means a whole lot.”

“I don’t want to start tearing up because I didn’t put on water-proof mascara,” she quipped. “I didn’t prepare myself properly. But you know, I’ve done a lot of thinking, obviously, as of recent. I think there’s a lot that we can be upset about, that we can be sad about. The direction of our country; the future of our nation, our families, our communities, our safety, our children, their education, their futures, our health, and our well-being.”

“And I’ll tell you one thing that’s for sure,” she asserted as she issued a statement not only about her health but the nation as a whole, “I’m sure as hell not giving up.”

That triggered another ovation as she galvanized the crowd: “When you know in your heart what is right, never, ever, ever give up, the fight. Ever.”

“And to steal some words — and I do this from a time or two,