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'They can't cancel me': Ron DeSantis slams 'woke' CANCER as Donald Trump worries about 2024 challenge

DeSantis has not revealed anything yet about his 2024 plan but it has been reported that he is fundraising in other American states, except Florida

Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, was reportedly all about himself while speaking at the Tikvah Fund's Jewish Leadership Conference in New York City on Sunday, June 12, as several LGBTQ advocates protested outside. The 43-year-old politician, whom many in the Republican party have begun seeing as a person to succeed Trump in 2024, started his speech by saying, “They can’t cancel me, I’m going to speak my mind. You know, I saw that there was a little opposition to me coming here. All I can tell you is this: When the Left is having a spasm, that just tells you that in Florida we are winning.”

DeSantis then went on to boast about the Covid-19 policies in Florida and also compared himself with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who made masks compulsory for preschoolers too. He said at Chelsea Pier 60’s event, which was earlier reported to be at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, as reported by National Review: “Now I know New York for a long time, until very recently, force-masked these toddlers, which I think, quite frankly, is inhumane. And so we would never impose those policies in the state of Florida.”

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Besides, the leader slammed “wokeness” by stating: “We have said that the state of Florida is not going to be overrun by woke ideology. It’s just not going to happen. I think it’s a cancer, I think it will destroy this country if it’s able to get more of a foothold than it already has,” before he touted the parental-rights bill, famously known as “Don't Say Gay”, and the cancellation of self-governing status of Disney. “My duty and my oath of office was to not subcontract out responsibility to a corporation based in Burbank, California,” he added.

This comes as Donald Trump is reported to have been upset with DeSantis’ apparent growing popularity while worrying about 2024. The Daily Mail citing a straw poll reported that 1,114 attendees at the Western Conservative Summit “were asked to check off as many candidates as they'd like to see run in 2024 from a list of top potentials. DeSantis, 43, was checked off by 71.0 percent of respondents, Trump by 67.8, and Sen. Ted Cruz in third by 28.7 percent.”

DeSantis reportedly surpassed the former president last year also and the reasons behind this are many, including his claim that the 2020 election was stolen and “the increased scrutiny over the January 6 2021 riot that led to a siege on the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.”

Tyler Sandberg, a veteran Republican GOP operative, based in Colorado, spoke with Politico and said: “There is no real party standard-bearer at the moment, and DeSantis in many eyes is starting to define the post-Trump party. He fights more about policy and less on his Twitter account.”

Dick Wadhams, a veteran Colorado Republican consultant and former chair of that state’s Republican Party, added: “It did not surprise me that DeSantis did well, but, yeah, it kind of surprised me that he did better than President Trump, again. I go to a lot of Republican events and have sensed for some time that even with Republicans DeSantis has quite an appeal because of his success as governor of Florida.”

DeSantis has not revealed anything yet about his 2024 plan but it has been reported that he is fundraising in other American states, except Florida. On the other hand, the Daily Mail report noted that to retaliate against him, Trump “could be looking to strike early and is contemplating launching a campaign for the presidency as soon as this summer from Florida. Trump's idea would be to hold a flashy rally before the 2022 midterm elections. Holding it in Florida would further assert his dominance over DeSantis, he believes.”

A person, who is reportedly close to the 75-year-old and had discussions regarding DeSantis with him, told Rolling Stone, “One time that he did bring up the Florida [launch] scenario was quickly followed by him commenting on how terrible DeSantis was at public speaking and commanding an audience … [and that he’s] lacking in so much charisma and he’s so boring that Florida Republicans would leave Ron immediately for Trump [in a 2024 match-up].” It has also been said that Trump had called DeSantis “overrated” and “very overrated!”

Meanwhile, Dan Eberhart, a major donor to the Republicans, said: “DeSantis is a newer, fresher face. The age difference between DeSantis and Biden would show a contrast between young and old that would cut across party lines. Trump's profile is large but we did [lose] both the House and Senate under his watch. I would reluctantly give to Trump [again] if he was the nominee but I am hoping the next nominee's initials are not DJT.”