Name: DeSantis Tells Pennsylvania Conservatives Why Stakes Are High in the 2024 Elections
Uploaded: 2023-04-03T15:40:08.000Z
Description: Between the speeches, in the hallways and around tables at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference this week, some of the state’s most engaged conservative voters contemplated the Republican Party’s dual leadership.

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

NTD Plus

News

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

Smart Spending: How to Save on Summer Travel

UAE Suffered More Iranian Missiles Than Israel, Paving Way for Iron Dome: Analyst

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Washington Event to Rededicate US as ‘One Nation Under God’

Best-Selling Author Concerned Christians May Be Next in China’s State-Sanctioned Organ Trade

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's National Security Correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

Pentagon Paves the Way to Buy 10,000 Containerized Missiles

US Reports No Hantavirus Cases From Cruise Outbreak

Juliette Fairley is a freelance reporter for NTD and The Epoch Times and a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Born in Chateauroux, France, and raised outside of Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Juliette is a well-adjusted military brat. She has written for many publications across the country. Send Juliette story ideas at JulietteFairley@gmail.com

Juliette Fairley

Daniel Monaghan is a reporter for NTD News covering culture, social issues, and education. He holds a BA in Political Science and Government.

Daniel Monaghan

US News

Politics

Executive Branch

Rubio: China is ‘Top Geopolitical Challenge’

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Jury Awards $49.5 Million to Family of Woman Killed in 2019 Boeing Max Crash

Andrew Moran has been writing about business, economics, and finance for more than a decade. He is the author of "The War on Cash."

Andrew Moran

China News

Trump Departs China After 2-Day Talks With Xi

Haika Mrema

Medical Plane Crash in New Mexico Mountains Kills 4, Sparks Wildfire

Accommodating, Enabling China’s Regime a Failed Strategy: China Expert

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 14)

Kevin Hogan is an NTD News data reporter and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Kevin covers breaking news, as well as U.S. and global current events. He conveys the news through data visualizations and investigates pressing issues.

Kevin Hogan

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 12)

President Trump Leaves for China Today; Calif. Mayor to Plead Guilty to Acting as CCP Agent | NTD Good Morning (May 12)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 6)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (May 5)

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

Health News

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

Between the speeches, in the hallways and around tables at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference this week, some of the state’s most engaged conservative voters contemplated the Republican Party’s dual leadership.

“Trump or DeSantis, who do you like?” was the question on many minds. The answer was usually, “both.” And that leads to the next question, “Who has a better chance of winning?”

The indictment this week of former President Donald Trump did nothing to weaken support among this crowd. They are numb to the onslaught of negative stories about Trump that turn out to be untrue or inconsequential. The same folks were eager to hear what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had to say during his keynote address on Saturday at the conference in Camp Hill.

Many Pennsylvania Republicans told The Epoch Times they believe the candidates have similar chances of winning because voters expect negative attacks to continue for any Republican with the potential to unseat a Democrat.

While a few say Trump carries too much negative baggage from all the political attacks, the prevailing thought is, if Trump was not in the race, DeSantis would catch the same kind of heat opponents have been hurling at Trump.
<h2>Set the Rules, Then ‘Play to Win’</h2>
All states should ban ballot harvesting as they have in Florida, DeSantis said while addressing the conference. He believes that some states have used COVID as an excuse to change voting rules, but that states should try and get it right. Florida has banned mailing voters unsolicited ballots and requires voters to show identification to vote.

But DeSantis said that, “Whatever the rules happen to be in election season, we’ve got to play ball with that.”

“We can’t tell people that the Democrats are going to harvest all these ballots, but we’re not going to do it? If it’s legal, you have to do it,” he said.

“If Zuckerbucks is legal, you should do Zuckerbucks. You should do whatever they’re doing. Don’t fight with one hand tied behind your back. Play to win.”
<h2>The Woke Agenda</h2>
Florida has also passed laws for how to approach children over gender issues.

“It’s inappropriate for teachers to be doing things like telling a student that they can change their gender or that they were born in the wrong body. That is wrong. And we do not allow the gender ideology in our schools in Florida,” DeSantis said.

“We’ve had to go after this practice of doing gender surgeries and hormone blockers in minors. They put someone 13- or 14-years old on puberty blockers. They will do a double mastectomy for someone that’s 15- or 16-years old. Kids that age go through a lot. You don’t take off their body parts like that. That is not medical science; that is ideology run amok.”

That is why in Florida, they have ruled through the medical board that physicians who allow these treatments on minors will lose their medical license. The audience applauded this with enthusiasm.

This year, DeSantis aims to ban a central bank digital currency in Florida.

He predicts the government will try to impose a woke agenda through such banking. He envisions consumers trying to buy gas but being stopped by their banking if they have bought too much that week, or being turned down from buying a gun because you already have what the government of the time thinks is too many.

“It’s ceding the power of our financial freedom to a central bank, which does not have our interests at heart,” DeSantis said. He believes all states should band together to say they are not going to allow a central bank.”

“What we’ve seen, whether it’s education, whether it’s a bureaucracy, whether it’s corporate America, there is a left-wing agenda that is being imposed on our society. And in Florida, we’ve just said no. We recognize this as a threat across the board, and we pledge to fight the woke in the schools. We pledge to fight the woke in the corporations. We pledge to fight the woke in the halls of the legislature. Florida will never ever surrender to the woke mob, because our state is where woke goes to die.”
<h2>Thinking Nationally</h2>
DeSantis said Floridians are satisfied and happy with the trajectory of Florida, but pessimistic about the trajectory of the United States.

“You see Joe Biden, a weak, floundering leader. He’s controlled by the leftist elements of the Democratic Party,” DeSantis said, blaming Biden’s administration for inflation. “The left is playing for keeps. They want to make the citizens of our country second class citizens. And if you look at 2024, if they can win the House and if they win the White House, and they win the Senate, what is their agenda going to be?”

He predicts they will try to pack the U.S. Supreme Court; abolish the Electoral College; make Washington D.C. a state to gain Democrat senators; and federalize ballot processes.

“This is not an agenda that is speaking to Americans over the kitchen table. This is an agenda for them to ensconce themselves in power for generations. The stakes are very high.”

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/desantis-tells-pennsylvania-conservatives-why-stakes-are-high-in-the-2024-elections_5165304.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Videos

Florida

pennsylvania

04_Top Stories

Latest Clips

Management

Beth Brelje is an award-winning Epoch Times reporter who covers U.S. politics, state news, and national issues.

Ms. Brelje previously worked in radio for 20 years and after moving to print, worked at Pocono Record and Reading Eagle.
Send her your story ideas: Beth.brelje@epochtimes.us 

Beth Brelje

2024 Elections

Congress

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.