Presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was in Columbia on Tuesday, July 18, to officially file for the presidency in our state. DeSantis made his way to the Republican Party headquarters where he was the first major party presidential candidate to file for South Carolina’s Republican primary.
DeSantis made a stop at the Celebrate Freedom Foundation at the Columbia International Airport to talk to veterans and staff and thank them for all that they do for veterans around the state. DeSantis rolled out his plans to reform the US military and said that as commander in chief he would ‘rip out the woke’’ in the military and rid it of ’social experimentation.’ CFF is an organization ran by former military leaders and veterans to honor past aviation pioneers and promote the future of the profession through STEM programs designed for K-12 students.
DeSantis spoke at Lake Wylie on Monday where he had supporters and local legislators on hand to listen to his campaign speech and took questions from the crowd of nearly 1,000. DeSantis defended former president Donald Trump saying that he was treated wrong and in ways that were unconstitutional.
The SCGOP presidential primary is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2024. South Carolina has former governor Nikki Haley and current Senator Tim Scott both vying for the republican presidential candidacy.