Florida Governor Ron DeSantis waves to the crowd during his inauguration at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, Tuesday, January 3, 2022.
mocner@miamiherald.com
Tallahassee
Governor Ron DeSantis reiterated his pledge to fight the “woke mob” when he took office Tuesday in Tallahassee, touting his accomplishments over the past four years.
In front of the steps of the Old Capitol, and in front of thousands of politicians, lobbyists, donors, and the general public, DeSantis made an almost stereotypical denunciation of “awakened” ideology.
“We want normalcy, not philosophical madness,” he said. “Never surrender to a mob that wakes up. Florida is a place where those who wake up die.”
DeSantis also accused Washington’s politicians and the federal government, calling it a “disorderly and inexplicable bureaucracy” that “forces its will upon us”.
Tuesday is the start of his second semester.
Four years ago, DeSantis was a little-known congressman from the Jacksonville area who narrowly defeated former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. In his 2019 inaugural address, DeSantis promised to “uphold the rule of law” and vowed that Florida “will not allow sanctuary cities.”
Since then, thanks to his combativeness against political opponents, his resistance to coronavirus-related restrictions, airlifting immigrants to the affluent enclave of Martha’s Vineyard, suspension of local government officials, and other frequently high-profile political actions, his Popularity has increased. He advertises voter fraud-related arrests of people who have committed felonies.
In November, he beat former Governor Charlie Christo by nearly 20 points. This was the largest gap for a Republican governor in the state’s history.
His victory — a rare bright spot for Republicans nationally in the November election — sparked speculation that he could challenge former President Donald Trump for president in 2024.
DeSantis has avoided speculation, and Tuesday’s speech gave no hint as to his future political ambitions.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
This story was originally published January 3, 2023 at 12:10 PM.