DeSantis: Beating Back Critics with 'Christ-Centered Values'

When it comes to Ron DeSantis, conservatives generally see him as a no-nonsense crusader, fighting the liberal agenda as governor of Florida.

“I don’t think there’s any elected official in the country who’s not only stood up for the values that we all share, but has actually beat the left back on these things,” DeSantis told CBN News.

In our exclusive interview, however, we explored new territory: a more personal look at the man who wants to be the next president.

At his core, who is Ron DeSantis?

“I’m a working-class kid,” DeSantis says. “My mom’s from Youngstown, Ohio, my dad’s from Western Pennsylvania…I think that they were very, very clear about what I needed to be doing for my obligations; do well in school, make sure you’re in church every Sunday, make sure you’re working around the house. You’re not going to get anything handed to you.”

That philosophy was reinforced at a strict Catholic grade school he attended in Florida.

“I think by and large I liked it,” DeSantis tells CBN News. “But again, I think the things that I didn’t like about it were because they were doing the right thing by making sure that we were disciplined. You would pray every day but some of the nuns were very strict about what your obligations were. And again, as a young kid, maybe not the most fun at the time, but I think was the right approach.”

That discipline and hard work led to success as a baseball player in Little League, high school and at Yale. Other shining accomplishments followed: Harvard Law School, a U.S. Navy lawyer, serving in Iraq, becoming a United States congressman and now governor of Florida.

“I always believed that it doesn’t matter where you start,” DeSantis said. “If you put that nose to the grindstone and work hard, God has a plan for you and you can do well in this country.”

Ron DeSantis credits his Catholic faith for keeping him grounded in truth. While he doesn’t publicly tout his faith, he and his wife Casey attend church regularly and make it a family priority.

“Our household is a Christ-centered household,” DeSantis told CBN News. “We’re raising our kids with those values. We think that that’s very important…It’s great for us when our kids are coming back from preschool or kindergarten, talking about David and Goliath and we’re like, thank you. So we’re very, very appreciative of being able to do that…My son, he was four for Christmas this year, he wanted a sling to be like David slaying Goliath and so that really warms our hearts when we see that.”

Just like King David, DeSantis had to lean on his faith and prayer during his wife’s 2021 breast cancer diagnosis.

After undergoing treatment, Casey DeSantis is now cancer free.

The governor recalled, “There was a definite increase in her spirits once we went public and people started praying for us. Yes. Absolutely.”

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