Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in his element on Thursday, shutting down a left-wing activist/heckler who tried to blame him for the recent shooting in Jacksonville where a mentally troubled white man shot and killed three black people.
DeSantis was holding a press conference to go on record in preventing the reintroduction of any COVID-19 mitigation efforts in Florida, such as lockdowns, masking, or social distancing when he was accused of having “allowed” the shooting.
“You have allowed weapons to be put on the street in the hands of immature, hateful people that have caused the deaths of the people who were murdered a couple of weeks ago,” the man said.
(The unidentified black man claimed to be a military veteran, providing the media with ample fodder to disparage the 2024 Republican presidential candidate.)
“First of all, I did not allow anything,” DeSantis quickly countered. “I am not going to let you accuse me of committing criminal activity. I am not going to take that! I am not going to take that!”
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DeSantis SHUTS DOWN left-wing activist: “I am not going to let you accuse me of committing criminal activity. I am not going to take that!”
“There is THE truth — it’s not everyone has their own truth…You don’t get to come here and blame me for some mad man.” pic.twitter.com/SQ8zSKG54e
— DeSantis War Room (@DeSantisWarRoom) September 7, 2023
The governor then pointed out that the shooter, who killed himself, had been detained under the Baker Act and should not have had access to a gun.
Giving away his left-wing leaning, the man called on DeSantis to “please allow me to speak my truth, sir,” but the governor wasted no time shooting that turkey down.
“There is the truth, there is something about the truth — it’s not everyone has their own truth. You don’t get to come here and blame me for some madman. That is not appropriate, and I’m not going to accept it,” DeSantis insisted.
He also reminded the man that the crime rate in Florida is “at a 50-year low.”
As for the shooting in Jacksonville, DeSantis condemned the incident “in the strongest possible terms.”
NEW: Gov. Ron DeSantis denounces “coward” Jacksonville shooter who allegedly targeted Black people
“This guy killed himself rather than face the music. He took the coward’s way out. We condemn what happened in the strongest possible terms.”pic.twitter.com/IuZ5y3y5cj
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 26, 2023
The pushback by DeSantis is one of the key things his supporters love about him most… here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story as seen on X:
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-conversation=”none”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I love seeing this side of DeSantis. He knows how to boldly articulate the truth because he's walked the walk. Maybe it also comes from his time in the military and his experience working closely with the SEALS.</p>— All is Not Well in Zion (@NotWellInZion) <a href=”https://twitter.com/NotWellInZion/status/1699979172716884112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>September 8, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
— (@DStrong84) September 7, 2023
Excellent governance.
A marked contrast from dem counterparts. I’m grateful to live in FL. No place is 100% safe, but there are appropriate repercussions for criminal activity, and they are a helpful deterrent as well as a *comfort* to the law-abiding.
Thank you @RonDeSantis
— Jennifer Bond Baker (@carolsjenny) September 7, 2023
Yes, it is! Loved this part of the press conference! This is why we say Never Back Down is not just a catchy phrase. It is one of the motto’s the Governor and many of us live by.
— Florida Native (@OliviaFLNative) September 7, 2023
I love seeing this side of DeSantis. He knows how to boldly articulate the truth because he’s walked the walk. Maybe it also comes from his time in the military and his experience working closely with the SEALS.
— All is Not Well in Zion (@NotWellInZion) September 8, 2023
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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