Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis fired back after being disrupted on Monday by an apparent left-wing activist at a packed event in South Carolina.
The Florida governor is set to become the first Republican candidate to file paperwork in the state for the first-in-the-South 2024 presidential primary, according to Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard.
DeSantis was speaking to an affluent crowd at the Philip T. Glennon Community Center in Tega Cay, South Carolina, when he was interrupted.
Speaking about President Joe Biden, DeSantis said: “I have something to say to him: ‘Why don’t you focus on spending more time with your granddaughter in Arkansas, or at least acknowledge she exists, before you worry about our children?'”
As DeSantis spoke an LGBT activist opened up a pride flag and started shouting at the governor. DeSantis ignored the agitator as security quickly moved in to handle the issue.
Once security had the individual the crowd began to cheer and DeSantis pointed at the disruptor and yelled: “And they shouldn’t be worried about our children, either!”
“We don’t want you indoctrinating our children!” DeSantis exclaimed. “Leave our kids alone!”
WATCH:
"We don't want you indoctrinating our children." –@RonDeSantis
Leave. Our. Kids. Alone. #RD24 pic.twitter.com/cxkFk9y1Ga
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) July 17, 2023
Almost immediately after @RonDeSantis took the stage, protesters unfolded a rainbow flag behind him.
"We don't want you indoctrinating our children," DeSantis said, as the protesters were removed & the booing crowd began to cheer.
"Leave our children alone." pic.twitter.com/Hf1E0R2TZa
— Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) July 17, 2023
Kinnard highlighted another moment at the event where a woman who identified herself as “a very hardcore Trump supporter” in the audience addressed the impact that the event had on her.
“My love for President Trump comes from all the despair, all the things that he’s been through, has served as our president of the United States. And he did a good job,” she said. “But all the things, I’m thinking more with my heart, and my sorrow and my love for him, and for this country.”
“But now I have, this is the most important vote that we’re gonna have,” the woman continued. “And I have to think more with my mind and what’s best for this country, and you did an excellent job and I certainly appreciate it.”
“God bless you,” DeSantis responded. “Thank you. I appreciate that and I agree with you, I appreciate what President Trump did, how they treated him with things like Russian collusion, was a disgrace. And he was treated wrong. He was treated in ways that were unconstitutional.”
“But here’s the thing, the question for us now is what are we going to do about it?” he continued. “And we need to end the weaponization of government, I will get that done. It’s not about me, it’s about you. It’s about me standing up for you and standing up for this constitution and restoring this country to what the Founding Fathers envisioned. And we will get it done. We will be focused, we will be disciplined, and we will make it happen.”
The local fire marshal said that approximately 900 people showed up to see DeSantis speak inside the room. Tega Cay has a population of about 12,000 people, according to local media.
That's it from @RonDeSantis, who had about 900 people at tonight's event, according to the fire marshal.
Tomorrow he'll be in Columbia to file his @SCGOP primary paperwork & rollout his military policy. pic.twitter.com/EaiQczVK70
— Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) July 17, 2023