Who is Ron DeSantis? Fox Nation explores the governor's rise

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has emerged as a hopeful voice to conservatives across the country to lead the Republican Party and defeat the woke mob. 

The leader of the Sunshine State is often recognized for his resiliency in standing up for conservative principles, whether it is defending parents against liberal school boards or fighting Dr.Anthony Fauci’s controversial COVID policies.  Fox Nation’s "Who is Ron DeSantis?" delves deeper into the governor’s charisma and career and reveals how he became a voice for many conservatives.  

DeSantis grew up in Dunedin, Fla., where he scored on the baseball field and in the classroom, working his way up to attending Yale and Harvard Law School. 

"He led more by example than anything," his former coach, John Stuper, told Fox Nation. "A work ethic through the roof. He was almost like a pro in his approach to the game, to practice, to school." 

DESANTIS RACKS UP WINS WHILE TRUMP, POTENTIAL 2024 OPPONENTS TAKE SWIPES AT FLORIDA GOVERNOR 

Stuper recalled looking at DeSantis’ transcript when he wrote him a letter of recommendation and recalling there was not a B in any column. 

"This is a kid who worked every possible job you could at Yale, and he also worked his butt off as a baseball player," he said. 

DeSantis’ drive continued as he entered the military, serving at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp during the war on terror and later as he became a husband and father and eventually ran for office. 

"The day he decided he was going to go into the military, he called me," Stuper recalled. "I mean, I may have choked up or whatever because it was obviously clear how much he loved his country." 

DeSantis served in Congress from 2013 until 2018, when he was elected governor of Florida. As governor, he has tackled multiple issues: the COVID-19 pandemic, violent social unrest and Hurricane Ian. The governor, however, stood strong in his commitment to Florida’s principles. 

One notable test of DeSantis’ leadership was when he created the Parental Rights in Education Bill which stopped schools discussing sexual orientation or gender identity in third grade and under. Critics deemed the legislation the "Don’t Say Gay Bill," despite "gay" not appearing in its text. 

When Disney went against the governor’s legislation, DeSantis stood firm and punished the theme park by stripping it of its special self-governing and tax status. 

"We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob," DeSantis vowed. "Florida is where woke goes to die." 

According to DeSantis, the state has served as a "citadel of freedom" to uphold Americans’ rights, despite criticism from the opposition. 

"Good luck to those people trying to find dirt on him," Stuper said. "There is none, I can tell you that. There is none. I mean, I can give you some dirt on him and he struck out a couple of times when he played for me. He missed the cutoff man a few times, OK? That's about as much dirt as you're going to find on this guy and he's not perfect, but he's a good man, he's a good husband, he's a good father."  

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Stuper isn’t the only one who feels that way. Americans are showing their support for DeSantis’ leadership by the thousands. 

"He is winning over Americans," Fox News host Brian Kilmeade said. "Hundreds of thousands have relocated to Florida over the last two years. The Census Bureau says it is the fastest growing state in the country." 

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