DeSantis Responds to Heckler Accused of Soros Ties: 'This Ain't My First Rodeo'

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded forcefully to a protester who interrupted his speech at a Florida GOP campaign event in Tampa on September 1. The governor accused the individual of being paid by George Soros and told her, "This ain't my first rodeo."

DeSantis was discussing Florida's economy when the disruption occurred. He directly addressed the heckler, stating, "Hey, Soros isn't paying you enough because you're not very good at this." As security approached the woman, DeSantis continued, "He needs to pay some better talent instead of having people like you show up. This ain't my first rodeo, lady. I've seen it all and you ain't very good at it."

Later in the event, after another interruption, DeSantis advised the audience, "standing up and screaming is not effective. Okay?" He recalled past incidents, mentioning an encounter with Antifa where, according to him, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement officer effectively handled the situation. He reiterated his criticism of those he believes are funded by Soros, saying, "I think Soros is tightening his wallet because the people he's paying are terrible at this."

DeSantis suggested that in the past, Soros hired more effective individuals, but current protestors are "just screeching." He urged for respect and engagement in the civic process, but also advised protesters to "do a better job at protesting, please."

Following the event, a spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations, George Soros's philanthropic group, directed Fox News Digital to a previous statement. The statement asserted that the organization "do not pay people to protest or directly train or coordinate protestors." While acknowledging nonviolent public protests as a "hallmark of any vibrant society," the group also stated that all its grantees are required to comply with the law and uphold commitments to human rights, dignity, and nonviolence.

DeSantis is currently serving his second consecutive term as Florida Governor and is constitutionally ineligible to seek another consecutive term. During the event, he endorsed several Republican candidates, including U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds for governor, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.