TALLAHASSEE, Fla — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially begun his second term as the Sunshine State's 46th governor and formally entered the role Tuesday during his inauguration ceremony.
According to a website paid for by the Republican Party of Florida, the official swearing-in ceremony themed "The Free State of Florida," took place around 11 a.m. on the steps of the Old Capitol in Tallahassee.
In addition to DeSantis taking the oath of office, Wilton Simpson was sworn in as the new agriculture commissioner and Ashley Moody was sworn in as Florida's attorney general.
The inauguration marked DeSantis' first major speech since election night when he defeated Democratic challenger and former Gov. Charlie Crist.
"Mr. Chief Justice, members of the cabinet and fellow citizens — from the Space Coast to the Suncoast, from St. John's to St. Lucie, from the streets of Hialeah to the Speedway in Daytona, from the Okeechobee all the way up to Micanopy — freedom lives here in our great Sunshine State of Florida," DeSantis said during his inauguration speech.
DeSantis hammered home his theme of "The Free State of Florida," calling the state a "refuge of sanity" in the United States and a "citadel of freedom" for Americans and also people from around the world.
DeSantis has captured the national spotlight since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming popular among conservatives as he pushed back on COVID-19 restrictions. His popularity has continued as he has embraced fights over social issues — including the controversial "Parental Rights in Education" law, dubbed by critics as "Don't Say Gay."
This popularity has circulated speculation if the Florida governor will embark on a 2024 presidential run. A hypothetical Wall Street Journal poll released in December showed DeSantis had a generous lead against former President Donald Trump.
Trump announced a third try for president back in November. Meanwhile, the Florida governor said people need to "chill out" when it comes to the presidential race.
Following Trump's 2024 presidential campaign announcement in November, the former president took aim at DeSantis — who used to be one of his biggest allies. In a series of tweets, he repeated the "Ron DeSanctimonious" nickname he first used at a Pennsylvania rally last weekend and reduced DeSantis to "an average REPUBLICAN Governor with great Public Relations."