Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis used his inaugural speech Tuesday to straddle both statewide and national political worlds as he takes on a second term leading Florida while eyeing a potential 2024 White House run.
He recounted his first term protecting the “free state of Florida” while proclaiming it as a model for a nation hamstrung by liberal ideology and a federal government that “looms over us and imposes its will.”
“When other states consigned their people’s freedom to the dustbin, Florida stood strongly as freedom’s linchpin,” said DeSantis, 44, awash in 2024 presidential buzz but who has not yet declared whether he will run.
