Following his recent resignation from Congress, Republican Florida gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis made an appearance at a meeting of the Trump Club of St. Johns County last Tuesday, Sept. 11 to participate in the group’s tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks.
The tribute, which took place at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport Conference Center in St. Augustine, attracted conservatives from all over St. Johns County who support the Trump Club’s overall mission to help implement President Donald Trump’s agenda locally and nationally through the election of pro-Trump candidates.
One of several speakers at the event, DeSantis recounted the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, praising the courage of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93 and the first responders — some of whom were in attendance — who rushed toward the danger that day, risking their own lives for the sake of others.
“As bad as (9/11) was because of the death and destruction, it did reveal a lot of great things about the American character,” he said. “When you have the first responders moving into the burning towers, the people who stormed in to help save people in the Pentagon and then those passengers on Flight 93 — to bring that plane down knowing they were sowing the seeds of their own demise, but saving probably thousands of others — that is really what America is all about, that spirit.”
Contrasting that spirit against that of those behind the attacks, DeSantis stated, “As bad as the attack was, and it was the worst attack certainly since Pearl Harbor, it was really not even scratching the surface of what the enemy would be willing to do. Sept. 11 was only limited by their capacity, not by their will. They would kill millions and millions of people if they could, without even blinking an eye.”
DeSantis, who has been formally endorsed by the president, praised Trump’s efforts to recognize and fight back against such terrorism, presenting himself as an ally to the Trump Administration in Florida while positioning his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, as a far-left extremist seeking to thwart the president’s agenda.
“My vision would be to make Florida even better,” DeSantis said. “My opponent’s vision is to make Florida Venezuela, and that is not going to work.”
DeSantis suggested that the Tallahassee mayor would try to not only raise taxes, but potentially even implement a state income tax if elected governor.
Further, pointing to Tallahassee’s high crime rate, DeSantis added that he found Gillum’s leadership record to be concerning, contending, “He cannot govern his own city. There is no way that he could be governing the entire state of Florida.”
Emphasizing the “high stakes” of this year’s election, DeSantis encouraged those in attendance to get out the vote, promising to be the leader Florida needs.
“Leadership means doing the right thing when it’s not easy,” he said. “Sometimes you’ve got to take the political road less traveled, but I think that is the way you’re able to accomplish big things. I will be somebody that will do that, and I think if you have the courage to lead, you can achieve big things for the state.”
The Trump Club of St. Johns County currently has over 200 members. The Club’s next meeting is Monday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Northeast Florida Regional Airport Conference Center.
