Ron DeSantis was sworn in Tuesday for his second term as governor of Florida, a position he won by a large majority of votes in the November elections.
The 44-year-old politician used the ceremony to give his first political speech of the year in which he condemned the"philosophical lunacy" with which others have pretended to govern and promises to fight the "progressive mafia.”
"We seek normalcy, not philosophical lunacy (...) We will never surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die," he said.
DeSantis recalled the progress Florida has made during his first term such as: the "improvement in the lives of its residents," "high quality education" and the improvement of the economy that "continues to grow faster than the nation."
Likewise, he mentioned that his political principles are the ones that have led him to achieve so many accomplishments in various issues and compared them with other states.
We are so proud of you, Dad! Florida is blessed to have you remain at the helm, love you! pic.twitter.com/HLUyRNPCQm
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) January 3, 2023
Safety
DeSantis noted that one of the big differences with other states in the country is safety, assuring that he will continue with his commitment to support law enforcement instead of "taking funding away from the police."
"We will always support law enforcement, and we will always reject soft-on-crime policies that put our communities at risk," he said.
The governor explained that it is precisely Florida's "law and order" that has led to population growth in that state and emphasized that the opposite is occurring in other states.
"The policies pursued by these states have sparked a mass exodus of productive Americans from these jurisdictions, with Florida serving as the most desired destination, a promised land of sanity," he said.
Leadership during the pandemic
Another achievement DeSantis mentioned was the way he dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, recalling that other leaders preferred to impose "medical authoritarianism" with restrictions that "lack scientific basis." This is in reference to the coronavirus vaccine mandates and other measures used by the government with the justification of controlling the pandemic.
The Free State of Florida: Governor DeSantis Inauguration 2023 https://t.co/wuVXdA7OSt
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) January 3, 2023
Criticism of Biden
The governor also took time to talk about the crisis on the border and federal spending packages that would have increased inflation.
While at no time did he directly mention the president or other Democrats, it was clear that these are problems that have not been successfully addressed by the current regime.
"The results of this have been predictably dismal," he said regarding federal policies, adding that "this has caused many to be pessimistic about the country’s future. Some even say that failure is inevitable."
Political aspirations
DeSantis managed to make history in November after defeating former Governor Charlie Crist by nearly 20 points, the largest margin ever for a Republican governor in the state.
The overwhelming victory has caused many to speculate about the politician's future, coming to believe that the governor could become Donald Trump's main rival in the primaries of the next presidential election.
However, DeSantis has so far shied away from speculation and has not commented on his future political aspirations. What he has made clear is that he has every intention of continuing to focus on improving Florida.
