Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gave Nevada veterans what they wanted on Friday, blending free beer with woke-bashing.
DeSantis and Adam Laxalt, a former Nevada attorney general who sought a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2022, went behind the bar at Veterans of Foreign War Post 9211 in Reno, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
“Just so you know, I’ll serve you anything except Bud Light. I just can’t do that,” DeSantis said to the crowd, bringing a round of laughter after mocking the beer brand that has been boycotted by many conservatives after aligning itself with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April.
“Does anybody want a draft on the house?” the governor asked before finding a willing taker and then joining him with a sip from his own glass of beer.
“I’ll serve you anything but Bud Light” ??@RonDeSantis got behind the bar at “The Bunker” VFW Post 9211 before the Reno Rodeo yesterday! pic.twitter.com/mxyOJ8fAaC
— Lindsey Curnutte ? (@lindseycurnutte) June 17, 2023
After a Friday visit to the Reno Rodeo, DeSantis spoke at the Basque Fry event as he sought to highlight differences between himself and former President Donald Trump, who is currently the front-runner in most GOP primary polls.
“At the end of the day, leadership is not about entertainment, it’s not about brand building. Leadership is about producing results for the people that you represent,” he said, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Gov. Ron DeSantis kicks off first campaign visit to Nevada making stops at the Veterans of Foreign Wars bunker and Reno Rodeo.
DeSantis told the room of veterans the “culture of the military has lost its way.”
“I’m the only one that’s ever worn the uniform that’s running.” pic.twitter.com/OkyiWSvDSp
— Kit Maher (@KitMaherCNN) June 17, 2023
Taking a jab at what he called “the dumpster fire of woke ideology,” DeSantis promised to right the ship of the nation.
“We need to restore sanity in this country. We need to restore a sense of normalcy to our communities. We need to make sure our institutions have integrity,” he said.
It’s great to be at Patriot Night with the first presidential candidate to visit the Reno Rodeo, @RonDeSantis, along with @CaseyDeSantis and their kids! pic.twitter.com/erFoxDlSvJ
— Adam Paul Laxalt (@AdamLaxalt) June 17, 2023
The governor also pointed to his political success in the Sunshine State.
“We had a red wave in Florida. We showed what it means to win and win big. For the first time since the era of the Civil War, there’s not one single Democrat elected to statewide office,” he said.
“That’s called winning, and that’s what we need to do,” DeSantis said.
Governor @RonDeSantis winning over Nevada voters one speech at a time.
Retail politics ? conservative agenda FTW.pic.twitter.com/Fu3XNgN48V
— Team DeSantis (@TeamDeSantis) June 18, 2023
DeSantis said he is the leader who can rebuild the nation, according to The Nevada Independent.
“This country is in decline. But I don’t think that decline is inevitable. I think it’s a choice. It’s a choice we as Americans will make over these next 18 months,” he said.
The governor promised that he would be “the president to finally bring the issue of the southern border to a conclusion,” promising to “shut down the border.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
