ANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis’ wife, Casey, kept a commitment on the campaign trail Monday as her husband remained in Florida, bracing for Hurricane Idalia.
“When you have situations like this, you’ve got to put the interest of the people first,” Governor DeSantis said Monday morning at the Tallahassee emergency operations center. “We have a responsibility as Americans to come together and do what we can to mitigate any damage and to protect people.”
CAMPAIGNING, COUNTRY MUSIC AND PRAYER
DeSantis canceled a Monday morning town hall in Kershaw, South Carolina. But since Ron DeSantis was scheduled to headline South Carolina Rep. Jeff Duncan’s 12th annual Barbecue, Florida’s First Lady Casey and their three kids appeared instead.
About 2,000 voters across South Carolina turned up for a night of campaigning, country music and prayer at a sports and entertainment center in Anderson, South Carolina. Attendees passed by hundreds of Never Back Down signs lining the road as they approached the super PACs campaign bus parked outside the main entrance selling gear and apparel.
Sherry Debruyn, a retired medical assistant, said it was admirable of DeSantis to stay in Florida. Debruyn said she was excited to hear from Casey.
“He should be there,” Debruyn told The State. “For her to give the speech, it’ll be a different flavor from a women’s point of view, but she has got to be on board with his policies and will express them a little differently, but that’s cool.”
“I think it’ll be very neat to hear a woman’s perspective on the whole thing, persuading us on why he’s the very best candidate,” Debruyn told the outlet.
“THIS GIRL IS ON FIRE”
Some expressed disappointment that Ron DeSantis wasn’t there, according to The State. But as he introduced Florida’s first lady, Duncan prepped the crowd, reminiscing on his time with Ron DeSantis in the military and complimenting him on his success as governor of Florida.
In a pre-recorded video, Ron DeSantis thanked Duncan for introducing his wife. He spoke about his plans to secure the southern border, end “Bidenomics,” and hold the federal government accountable. Casey took the stage as This Girl is on Fire by Alicia Keys played loudly.
“If Hunter Biden is making millions of dollars off of his finger paint, why can’t we just put our stuff on eBay and see how it goes,” Casey told the crowd, referencing her children’s desire to draw on walls at the governor’s mansion.
“WE NEED A PRESIDENT WITH BACKBONE”
Casey DeSantis detailed her husband’s journey as governor of Florida and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also spoke about Biden’s failures, the need for parental choice in education, and rejecting wokeness.
“You know, when you put Ron DeSantis up in the White House, he is going to stand up for your interests and he is never going to back down,” Casey DeSantis said. “We need a president with backbone.”
Lucy Palmer, a retired elementary school teacher, came to the event with her husband, a retired Marine, who participated in the flag ceremony for the event.
Palmer told The State she likes DeSantis and expected Casey DeSantis to give a similar speech as the Florida governor. She told the outlet that DeSantis is her top pick because of how he carries himself and always sticks to his beliefs.
Kaye Dina, a retired insurance agent from New York, brought her son Johnathan, who works in Connecticut, to the event with her. Both told The State they were planning to vote for Trump but were curious to hear from other candidates – especially DeSantis – before making a final decision.
