DeSantis targets Biden at CPAC speech in Orlando

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida showcased his anti-lockdown credentials and repeatedly took aim at President Biden as he urged a conservative crowd to "put on the full armor of God," to battle the progressive agenda.

"I can tell you there's one fellow that just hates Florida and his name is Joe Biden," DeSantis argued on Thursday in Orlando, Florida, as he addressed a receptive crowd on the opening day of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the oldest and largest annual gathering of conservative leaders and activists.

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The conservative governor has seen his popularity surge among Republican voters in his state and around the nation over the past two years, thanks in large part to his combative pushback against COVID-19 restrictions amid the coronavirus, the worst pandemic to strike the globe in a century.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP)

"We protected people's rights, we protected people's jobs, and made sure every kid in the state of Florida had an opportunity to go to school in person," DeSantis touted. "Freedom has prevailed in the Sunshine State." 

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And he targeted nations like Canada and Australia, which enacted stringent restricts to combat COVID.

"Had Florida not led the way, this country could look like Canada or Australia," he emphasized. "We sometimes take freedom for granted, you should not do that after the last two years."

Taking aim at the president, DeSantis charged that "he's always criticizing us, always trying to take pot shots at Florida...He doesn't like Florida, and he doesn't like me because we stand up to him."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida on Feb. 24, 2022. (Fox News)

In a speech chocked full of plenty of red meat that elicited loud applause from the audience, the governor once again railed against critical race theory and what he claimed was a "blizzard of lies" put out by the mainstream media to protect Biden.

DeSantis gave his address hours after Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched a military assault on neighboring Ukraine, sparking the most dangerous conflict in Europe in decades. But the governor did not mention the global crisis in his speech. 

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But his repeated attacks on Biden are sure to spark more speculation that DeSantis - who's running for reelection this year - is mulling a 2024 GOP presidential nomination run.  

DeSantis - who has repeatedly dismissed questions about a potential 2024 bid and whether he'd run if former President Donald Trump launches a campaign - made no mention of any possible future national ambitions in his address.

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