Return of the ‘full armor of God’: Ron DeSantis to deliver post-election speech at Notre Dame

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 5/5/23-Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference after the 2023 legislative session concluded, Friday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Irish eyes will be smiling on America’s Governor Friday, as Gov. Ron DeSantis will deliver remarks at Notre Dame’s Center for Citizenship and Constitutional Government.

The speech was scheduled before the election.

“One of our aims at the center is to inspire Notre Dame students to become leading citizens who serve the public good. We do that, in part, by introducing them to our nation’s current leaders, especially leading Catholic politicians,” said Center Director Vincent Phillip Muñoz.

“We are privileged to host Gov. DeSantis and look forward to learning about his experiences governing one of the largest states of the Union.”

The topics during the talk could run the gamut from the “war on woke” that inspired him to make radical changes at New College and other Florida institutions of higher learning, to the Presidential Election and high-profile Florida amendments legalizing recreational pot and removing state restrictions the Governor and the GOP Legislature imposed on abortion.

Expect his Catholicism to factor into the remarks, if previous speeches about donning the “full armor of God” to audiences of faith are any indication.

“You are going to face blowback, you’re going to face attacks, you’re going to face smears, and it’s the faith in God that gives you the strength to stand firm against the lies, against the deceit, against the opposition. It gives you the foundation to know that all the insults, all the nonsense they throw at you ultimately doesn’t matter because you are aiming higher,” the Governor said in 2023.

DeSantis has said he’s looking at running for President in 2028, and the calculus on that will be affected by how the election proceeds in the coming days.

A Donald Trump loss marginalizes running mate JD Vance and creates a window for the Governor that a Trump/Vance win likely would close.