Ron DeSantis promised a crowd in northwest Florida that he would tire out Joe Biden in the primary campaign as he criticized the president for going on vacation before investigating the Maui wildfires.
The Florida governor literally felt at home as he was warmly welcomed by a military and veterans community on Okaloosa Island, Fla., for his pre-debate party the day before he left for Milwaukee.
“You know, just a thought experiment: If we had a Republican President in the midst of these fires and their aftermath, instead of stepping in to help the victims and choosing to walk on the beach, what would the media say?” what if they tried?’ DeSantis posed.
In response to his own question, he said the media and Democrats would “scream bloody murder.”
As DeSantis spoke to Florida supporters, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden landed on Maui to see first-hand the extent of the destruction from the runaway wildfires.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a pre-debate party Monday in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where he delivered his speech to a very friendly crowd of supporters before heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the first GOP debate of the cycle. left
DeSantis criticized Biden for spending a weekend vacation on Lake Tahoe before visiting victims and assessing the damage from the Maui wildfires. Pictured: President Joe Biden receives a Hawaiian lei during a community engagement event Monday
But before heading to the only island nation, Biden vacationed in Lake Tahoe over the weekend and stayed at billionaire Tom Steyer’s home in the posh community of Glenbrook from Friday night through Monday morning.
According to the White House, the first couple rented the home at “fair market value.” Steyer was one of many Democrats who ran and eventually dropped out in the 2020 presidential primary.
The Maui death toll rose to 114 over the weekend and more than 1,000 residents are still missing.
Biden has been heavily criticized for his lack of response to the Maui wildfires. Republicans accused him of giving more attention and help to foreign issues, such as the Ukraine war, than domestic ones.
Desantis was home Monday, speaking at The Gulf, a multi-purpose venue on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., which the website describes as a “bayside hangout for seafood and cocktails.”
Panhandle residents were thrilled their beloved governor was holding the event ahead of his first Republican primary debate in his home state.
Hundreds sat under umbrellas, watched from balconies and stood on a lawn. Almost all sported a DeSantis 2024 sticker and wore his shirts or hats, generally featuring patriotic red, white, and blue robes.
DeSantis and seven other Republican presidential candidates are in the doldrums as they prepare for Wednesday’s first GOP debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Former President Donald Trump easily qualified for the debate but will not be attending.
Should he win the nomination, DeSantis pledged that he would escort Biden across the country so he couldn’t “hide in the basement” during his mostly virtual 2020 campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The thing is, I’m not going to give Biden any rest,” DeSantis said to several hundred supporters who had gathered to hear his speech at a venue overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay. “We’re going to send him across the country, we’re not going to stop.” “We’re going to show energy, we’re going to show drive.”
He added, “We’re going to show the American people a great contrast between someone who shouldn’t be in office anymore and someone who spits nails on day one and does the work for you.”
Biden flew to Lake Tahoe on Friday to stay at the home of billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer in the ritzy community of Glenbrook, where the first couple paid “market value” for their vacation, according to the White House
Trump supporters lined up Monday outside the DeSantis debate farewell event in Fort Walton Beach to protest his performance
DeSantis was noticeably more relaxed while speaking in Florida to an audience familiar with his performances.
He promised to lead Biden across the country in 2024 as a contrast to his 2020 campaign from his basement studio.
“So here’s what we need to look out for in 2024: I’m not going to let him sit in his basement again and get away with it, we’re going to run him around the country,” DeSantis said.
“We will hold him accountable for his mistakes.” We will show the American people that there is a better way. And we know there is a better way.”
Next, the governor travels to Milwaukee to attend a debate where he is expected to win most of the debate as the best candidate on stage.