PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Standing before a giant screen emblazoned with “The Florida Blueprint,” Gov. Ron DeSantis took his presidential campaign dry run to Tampa Bay on Wednesday, speaking to several hundred supporters about his leadership philosophy and why Florida is the most “free” state in the nation.
DeSantis, known as a finger-pointing pugilist with a reputation for being aloof, used his speech Wednesday to sometimes counter that image. He struck an unusually jovial tone with stories about his wedding at Disney World and of the Governor’s Mansion housekeeping staff accidentally throwing away a water bottle filled from the Sea of Galilee intended for the baptism of his kids.
Still, there were hints about which version of the governor the crowd preferred. The lines that generated the most applause were about his fights — against public health restrictions during the pandemic, against Disney and over his latest idea to try to bring Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic to Miami. Djokovic has been unable to compete in ATP Tour events in the U.S. because he is unvaccinated.
