Gov. Ron DeSantis Rips the Left and Establishment: ‘I Have Only Begun to Fight’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) made it clear this week that he has no plans to submit to the radical left and their fake news narratives, telling a group of Republicans at Allegheny County’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner that he has “only begun to fight” and warning the GOP cannot revert to “the days of the failed Republican establishment of yesteryear.”

DeSantis, a rising star in the Republican Party, delivered a half-hour speech to hundreds of Republicans attending the event in Pittsburgh, speaking about the corporate media, big tech oligarchs, and Florida’s tried and true pro-freedom approach to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.

“All I can say to any state that has not followed suit: Open your state, open your schools, end these mask mandates, let people live and thrive,” DeSantis said during the address. “When it came right down to it, we chose freedom over Fauci-ism.”

While the governor did not explicitly express any plans to run for president in the next election cycle, one of his lines has garnered a bit of attention from the establishment media.

“I can tell you this: in the state of Florida, with me as governor, I have only begun to fight,” DeSantis said, prompting many to ponder his future political plans beyond his intention to win reelection in the Sunshine State’s upcoming gubernatorial race.

He also warned Republicans against reverting back to the ways of the party establishment — a phenomenon that caught national attention with the ousting of now-former GOP conference chair Liz Cheney (R-WY).

“As we look forward to the fights ahead, we cannot, indeed we will not go back to the days of the failed Republican establishment of yesteryear,” DeSantis said. “We are not going to do that.”

The Republican governor also advised Republicans to steer from seeking approval from the establishment media and their allies — advice he has demonstratively followed himself, continuing to forge a pro-freedom path ahead in Florida in the face of constant criticisms and fake news narratives — one of which came to the national spotlight in April after 60 Minutes deceptively edited a segment making it look as though DeSantis failed to properly address accusations of pay-f0r-play in vaccine distribution.

“So what I would say to Republicans: Don’t seek approval from these people,” DeSantis cautioned. “They don’t like you. They will smear you. They will attack you. The way to win is to fight back and not take it anymore. Don’t let these people set the agenda for our party anymore.”

The 42-year-old governor urged Republicans to “stand your ground” and “hold the line.”

“Don’t back down,” he said, channeling the spirit of former President Donald Trump by vowing to fight on.

While former President Trump has dominated hypothetical 2024 primary polls, DeSantis has continued to round out the top choices, tying former Vice President Mike Pence for “second choice” in a hypothetical 2024 Republican matchup, according to a March survey.