Ron DeSantis attacks liberals in California while considering White House run

(Patria) - Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has taken his fight against liberalism deep into Democratic California territory, as part of a national road show while setting the stage for
an expected White House bid, Reuters reported.

DeSantis has been meeting with wealthy donors in recent days and bolstering his national credentials in a series of speeches touting his Florida accomplishments while denouncing the "woke ideology" of leaders in Democratic strongholds, including California and New York.

DeSantis, who is expected to announce a presidential bid in the coming months, has made a war on liberalism a central theme of his governorship and a way to appeal to the Republican base.

While he has not yet announced a White House bid, he is a candidate whom former Republican President Donald Trump clearly sees as a major potential threat. Trump has already launched personal and political attacks on DeSantis as the race for the Republican Party's 2024 White House nomination begins to heat up.

DeSantis, speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library about 50 miles north of Los Angeles, made veiled references to the chaos of Trump's presidency and his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.

"You don't see the palace drama and intrigue," DeSantis said of his job as Florida governor.

"You see surgical precision and execution," he added.

DeSantis, who narrowly won his 2018 governor's race, touted his decisive re-election in November. He has attacked Democratic governors and leaders as being infected with the "virus of woke-ism." The term "woke" has become shorthand among opponents for left-wing radical ideology. He has denounced their policies on taxes, vaccine mandates and classroom "indoctrination."

DeSantis has also targeted Walt Disney, which has opposed a Florida law restricting classroom instruction on gender and sexual orientation. Last month, he signed a law stripping control of a special tax district that surrounds Walt Disney World and had allowed it to operate with a high degree of autonomy for half a century.

"There's a new sheriff in town," DeSantis declared, referring to what he called the end of Disney's "corporate kingdom."

Other candidates expected to jump into the Republican primary race include former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Nikki Haley, Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations, announced her candidacy last month.