On Friday (April 14), minutes into Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ speech at the Republican New Hampshire annual fundraising dinner, the Florida Governor was briefly interrupted by a handful of female protesters.
Demonstrators who appeared to be chanting “Jews against DeSantis” reached the podium at the sold-out event in a downtown hotel ballroom in Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city, before being quickly removed by security.
DeSantis commenting on the incident told the crowd to cheers and applause that the speech has to have “spice.”
DeSantis then quickly returned to his prepared remarks.
All attendees at the event, the state party’s largest annual fundraiser, we’re required to go through security before entering the ballroom.
Chris Ager, New Hampshire GOP chairman, told Fox News that the fundraising dinner is expected to bring in more than $250,000, describing the fundraising effort as a “record.”
Ager also noted that there were more than 500 audience attendees, explaining that ticket sales had to close when they reached 520 people, which had been reached earlier in the week.
DeSantis’ trip is the first of this cycle to New Hampshire, a state with the first GOP primary and second race on the GOP presidential candidate calendar.
Florida’s popular conservative Governor has already made stops this year in Iowa (which kicks off the Republican schedule) and Nevada (home of the fourth race) and will visit South Carolina (which votes third) next week.
Although DeSantis is currently on the sidelines of the 2024 GOP race, he is expected to begin campaigning for President sometime after Florida’s legislative term ends next month.
But behind the scenes, the Florida Governor has already taken many steps to launch his campaign, including beefing up his Tallahassee staff.
