(TheRedAlertNews.com) – Florida’s Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, was in New York City on Monday to speak at a police union event and recruit police officers “tired” of the leftist policies in New York.
DeSantis, widely expected to run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination and the White House, went on a pro-police tour in Democrat-run communities struggling with violent crime.
After New York City, he also took part in police events in Philadelphia and Chicago.
DeSantis was a “special guest for a discussion on protecting Law and Order in New York,” according to Politico’s description of the event.
His Big Apple speech was hosted in Staten Island by the New York State Fraternal Order of Police. The Florida governor spoke for about 20 minutes before a crowd of hundreds, SILive reported, as cited by Newsmax.
DeSantis presented his efforts against “wokeism,” “critical race theory,” and gender ideology, as well as his pro-police policies. Those include a $5,000 bonus for police officers and school-choice scholarships for their dependents.
“I wish I can tell you that Floridians are just so much better, but it’s not the reason. It’s not. The reason is we support strong policies to keep our communities safe, and we back the blue, and we support their mission,” DeSantis said.
Crowds began gathering for his speech even before dawn, and some attendees were wearing T-shirts reading “DeSantis 2024.”
“Is this Florida north, or is Florida Staten Island south?” DeSantis jokingly asked in his speech.
“You don’t have to look far in Florida to find someone that’s got Staten Island roots,” he added.
While the Democrats dominate New York City’s government, Staten Island consistently votes Republican. In 2016 and 2020, it was the only of NYC’s five boroughs that went to former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis’s event was attended by former Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, alongside other politicians and police union leaders.
“It has been too long since we’ve been able to hear a voice of a governor who is unapologetically fighting for us and our families to keep us safe, prosperous and free,” said Zeldin, who served alongside DeSantis in the US House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, New York City’s Democrat Mayor, Eric Adams, posted a sarcastic “welcome message” for DeSantis on Twitter.
“Welcome to NYC, @GovRonDeSantis, a place where we don’t ban books, discriminate against our LGBTQ+ neighbors, use asylum seekers as props, or let the government stand between a woman and health care,” Adams wrote.
“We’re happy to teach you something about values while you’re here,” he added.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis visited New York City on Monday to attend a discussion on law enforcement and recruit police officers tired of the Big Apple's progressive policies. https://t.co/xICj8M6q9b pic.twitter.com/bNVnSjsKOM
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 20, 2023
