In key speech speech before conservatives, DeSantis continues his 'war on woke'

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis touted reforms he wants to see in Washington, D.C. before an audience of conservatives in the Washington, D.C. area on Friday.

He said the administrative state in Washington, D.C. has too much power and Congress needs to work to roll it back.

"Congress needs to reassert it's constitutional authority. These agencies answer to the American people. They are not self-perpetuating bureaucracies that have the ability to do whatever the heck they want to do," DeSantis said during the Heritage Foundation's Anniversary Gala at the National Harbor outside of Washington, D.C.

"You also need a determined and disciplined chief executive to root out politicization and corruption throughout the whole executive branch and that is not an easy thing to do," he added.

DeSantis, a potential 2024 GOP presidential candidate, said that "the left is playing for keeps" and implored the audience to imagine a Democratic takeover of government in 2024.

He predicted that Democrats will try to pack the Supreme Court, abolish the Electoral College, make Washington, D.C. a state to get "two left-wing senators, virtually for life, and eliminate voter ID across this country" as well as mandate ballot harvesting.

"We must insist on the restoration of constitutional government," he said.

He called on the U.S. to "embrace the founding creed" that rights are not "courtesy of the government" but a gift from "almighty God."

"At the end of the day, decline is a choice. Success is attainable and freedom is worth fighting for and I can tell you this, down in the state of Florida, we have only begun to fight," he said.

He also teased a forthcoming immigration reform package in Florida that he said will be the strongest among states in the nation.

DeSantis told a story of his administration fixing infrastructure in 3 days after the latest hurricane, which some said would take 6 months.

"I'm willing to send those guys in Florida to the southern border to build a wall. C'mon Joe [Biden], put us in, we'll get it done," he said.

DeSantis touted some of the wins he's delivered in Florida during his tenure as governor, comparing his record to conservatives in Washington, D.C.

"Florida is the state where our shared ideas and values actually become political reality. In D.C., big conservative victories are few and far between," he said. "In Florida, we deliver big victories every single day. We reject the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party in recent years. In Florida, we know that there is no substitute for victory."

DeSantis said he's reformed public education to make sure children aren't taught that gender is a choice.

"Kids should just be able to be kids without having somebody's agenda shoved down their throats. It is wrong to teach a second grader that they may have been born in the wrong body. It is wrong to teach students that gender is a choice," DeSantis said.

"And we don't allow that in Florida and the left didn't like it, a lot of the media didn't like it but you know, we govern the state of Florida, not them, and so we've done what's right to make sure that our education is sound and that our children and parents are protected," he added.

He noted that students aren't required to "pick pronouns" in Florida schools.

DeSantis said he's also had to protect the integrity of women's sports, which "I'm very happy to do but it's sad we're even having to do that."

The former congressman said he is working to block sex change operations for minors. DeSantis explained that a physician who performs that surgery on a minor in Florida will lose their license.

DeSantis said he's working to combat the "woke mind virus," which represents a war on truth.

"Don't tell me that babies are born racist. Don't tell me that men can get pregnant, that's not true and I do not accept that," he said. "The woke represents a war on truth and because it's a war on truth, we must engage in a war on woke."

He also said that conservatives should not defer to corporations in every situation, which is what a "corporatist" would do.

DeSantis used his actions against Disney as an example.

"We the people ultimately govern," he said.

Regarding Disney, he told the audience that if conservatives believe that "free enterprise means everybody follows the same set of rules, then what Florida is doing is precisely correct."

Addressing the rising criminal activity across the nation, he said rioters get jail time in the state of Florida. 

"We also reject policies that eliminate cash bail and that allow criminals to get out of prison before they complete their sentence," he said. "Those policies have been tried in this country and those policies have failed in this country."