‘Got to have a little spice,’ Ron DeSantis shrugs off two women who rushed him on stage in protest during his New Hampshire speech
- Two women rushed Ron DeSantis during a speech in New Hampshire
- ‘Jews Against DeSantis,’ they yelled
- DeSantis garnering national attention amid speculation he’ll run for president
Two protesters rushed the stage on Friday night when Ron DeSantis was addressing a fundraiser for New Hampshire‘s Republican Party.
The Florida governor looked startled when the two young women ran up to the podium and started to unfurl a banner.
‘Jews Against DeSantis,’ they yelled.
Several security guards ran to the stage to pull them off, pulling them out as the governor resumed his remarks.
DeSantis shrugged it off: ‘Got to have a little spice in the speech, right?’
Security pulls two women off stage who rushed Ron DeSantis
‘You have to have a little fun,’ he continued.
He added that he didn’t know why people would pay the ticket price to pull such a move – tickets were $150 each – but added ‘different strokes for different folks.’
The crowd cheered him on.
Last year, DeSantis was criticized when he refused to condemn Nazi demonstrations that happend near Orlando. He accused his political opponents of trying to ‘smear me as if I had something to do with it.’
Many Republicans in the state slammed the protests but DeSantis had stayed silent. He claimed his political opponents were trying to ‘use this as some type of political issue,’ adding: ‘We’re not playing their game.’
The protesters on stage weren’t the only ones targeting the Florida governor on Friday night. There were also demonstrators outside the venue in Manchester, waving Donald Trump signs.
DeSantis has garnered national attention amid speculation he’ll run for president next year.
He’s had a controversial tenure in Florida. He kept the state open during the COVID pandemic, winning cheers from conservatives and criticism from medical experts. He’s also stopped Florida schools from teaching gender issues.
On Thursday night he signed a controversial abortion bill into law, which outlaws the procedure after six weeks, long before most women know they are pregnant.
Democrats have threatened to hound him on the issue.
‘Signing an abortion ban is the latest mark in DeSantis’ long record of cruelty — and Planned Parenthood advocacy and political organizations will be sure it’s a record the public does not forget,’ said Jenny Lawson, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes in a statement.
New Hampshire is one of the few states were DeSantis has led Trump in polls on the 2024 presidential race. The former president has seen a rebound in his numbers, however, as he faces a New York court date for charges tied to a hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
The Florida governor has not formally announced he’s running for president in 2024. But he’s on a book tour that many see as a precurser to such a campaign. It’s taking him to important early voting states like Iowa, Michigan and New Hampshire.
DeSantis heads to South Carolina next week – another important stop in the Republican presidential primary process.
Ron DeSantis was addressing a Republican Party fundraiser in New Hampshire
The demonstrators were quickly removed
DeSantis headlined the most successful state Republican Party fundraiser in its history, according to New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Chris Ager.
‘We have raised over $382,000,’ Ager said at the Amos Tuck dinner. ‘Largest ever.’
The ballroom was filled to capacity with slightly more than 500 people, according to the party’s count.
Tickets were sold for $150 a pop or $500 for a VIP ticket. DeSantis joined the VIP reception ahead of his speech to take photos with the high-level donors.
The dinner was named after Amos Tuck, who is considered by many to have founded the Republican Party in the 1850s in Exeter, New Hampshire.
