LYNCHBURG, Va. – To hear Ron DeSantis tell it, Florida is the greatest state that ever existed. Number 1 in all metrics. Best of all. The only thing that is not good in Florida is to wake up, because Florida is “to wake up is to die.”
Florida’s Republican governor praised the Sunshine State’s virtues at one of the nation’s largest Christian universities Friday morning. But he left out one timely thing – the six-week abortion ban he signed into law not 12 hours earlier.
“Last night, after the legislature passed the bill, they signed the Heartbeat Protection Act,” said Jonathan Falwell, provost at Liberty University and son of Jerry Falwell, the university’s founder. Falwell introduced DeSantis to the university on Friday morning after a performance by a Christian rock band in a blind indoor arena. “[The law] will protect all unborn babies because they know and understand that life is a gift from God.”
However, it only mentions Florida’s new abortion ban, one of the most restrictive in the country. DeSantis ignored the law during his 20-minute speech, other than to nod “the sanctity of life.” This omission is glaring considering the timeliness (DeSantis just signed the bill yesterday) and the setting (a university with thousands of young evangelical voters who packed convocation every week).
Carla Nicole, a woman from outside Philadelphia who owns a fashion brand that “gives back to pro-life crisis pregnancy centers” and whose three children attend Liberty, said it didn’t bother her that DeSantis didn’t talk about abortion laws. “Maybe he didn’t mention it because he knows he’s on a pro-life campus, and a lot of people watched when the bill passed,” he said. “We know they’re going to vote for the heartbeat bill.”
DeSantis mostly used his time on stage to cast Florida, a once-purple state now running on the right, as a place where “we’re fighting to wake up” to be the best of all.
“We have the confidence to lead us and we have the courage to lead, and because of our efforts, Florida is now leading the nation,” DeSantis said. “We are No. 1 in the country for net in-migration. We are the No. 1 fastest growing country in the United States. We rank No. 1 in new business formations. Of course, we rank No. 1 in tourism .We are number 1 in economic freedom.We are number 1 in educational freedom.We are number 1 in parental involvement in education.
Many Liberty students who spoke to HuffPost said that as the new GOP presidential candidate unfolds in 2024, they’re just waiting for the right one to surprise them. That person could be DeSantis, or it could be someone else.
“As much as I love Donald Trump in 2020 and vote for him, I just don’t see that he’s the right fit, just because he’s had time in office and he’s done well,” said 21-year-old Tanya Henderson. -old who said he was set on voting for DeSantis. Henderson’s friend, Lucy Wilson, 20, agreed that the candidate should be someone other than Trump. “The younger generation, we’re just ready for fresh faces,” he said.
DeSantis hasn’t said he’ll run for president, but that’s the unspoken subtext of his appearance at Liberty, as well as perhaps the reason he didn’t mention the abortion law: Even if it helped him win the GOP primary, he won. ‘t helped him win over more moderate voters in the general election. Instead, he focused on other aggressive conservative actions he took as governor, such as banning medical interventions for transgender minors, which he did using executive power.
“My view is very simple. I may have 50% of the votes, but I have the right to exercise 100% of the executive power,” DeSantis said.
Liberty University regularly hosts speakers on campus who do not have a conservative ethos, including President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). But the university has a special relationship with Donald Trump. Liberty has been run by Jerry Falwell Jr., an evangelical influencer and Trump ally who resigned from the university in 2020 amid a sex scandal. Trump was brought to office with the help of evangelicals, but it is not clear whether he will stick with him in 2024 or choose a candidate with less baggage, like DeSantis or even former Vice President Mike Pence, who only published a book focused on faith. , “So help me Lord.”
“He is willing to share his faith. That’s important to us,” Greg Holden, a 73-year-old retired civil engineer from outside South Bend, Indiana, said Pence. Holden had traveled to Liberty from Pence’s home state to visit his grandson and happened to catch DeSantis at the weekly convocation, which features Christian music. and guest speakers in an upbeat ravelike environment.
“I don’t like everything that Trump has done, but he is definitely the best candidate. I feel very positive about his leadership,” Holden said. “I’m open to other Republicans and I want to see what they bring from the primaries. Trump has a tough road ahead of him.
DeSantis, who trailed Trump in recent polls, swiped that “leaders are not held captive by poll results.” And as much as Republicans crave a new person to lead their party, it’s not clear they’re ready to give up on Trump.
“Ron DeSantis is my favorite governor,” said Liberty student Solomon Park, 24. Park sat in the front row wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, feet from where DeSantis made his comments without moving an inch in the massive round. stage in the middle of the arena.
At one point during his remarks, a photographer tripped and fell to the floor in front of DeSantis, prompting the governor to pause for a few seconds before asking, “Are we OK here?” and so on. DeSantis, who dislikes retail politics, hurried off the stage after the event.
“Florida needs Ron DeSantis because there aren’t many good governors,” Park said. “We need Trump back in office to make America great again. But in 2028 and 2032, I want Ron DeSantis.