Two protesters stormed the stage at the New Hampshire Republican Party dinner on Friday, interrupting a speech by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and holding up a sign that said "Jews Against DeSant." Security swiftly removed the women from the stage, allowing De Santis to resume his address.
Gov. DeSantis took the incident in stride, remarking afterward, "It's always interesting coming to these events – you never know what might happen." The event continued without further interruptions as attendees remained engaged with the governor's speech.
New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Stephen Stepanek expressed his disappointment in regards to the protest: "We respect everyone's right to free speech; however, this was not an appropriate time or place for such actions."
The two protesters were later identified as Sarah Goldstein and Rebecca Levinson. When asked about their motives behind storming the stage during DeSantis' speech, Goldstein explained, "We wanted our voices heard against Governor DeSantis' policies which we believe are harmful."
Levinson added: "As Jewish Americans who care deeply about our country and its values of justice and equality for all people regardless of race or religion we felt it was important that we stand up against what we perceive as divisive actions."
Despite this interruption, anticipation continues to build around Gov. Ron DeSantis as he is expected to announce his presidential candidacy after Florida's legislative session ends in May. Currently leading him by a wide margin is former President Donald Trump according to recent Reuters/Ipsos poll results.
Political analyst Dr. Karen Peterson commented on these developments: “It will be interesting to see how both Governor DeSantis’ potential run for president affects Trump’s lead over him in polling numbers moving forward.”
While protests like those seen at Friday night’s dinner may cause momentary disruptions within the political sphere, it remains evident that the race for the Republican presidential nomination continues to be a dynamic and engaging contest.