DeSantis Greets First 300 Floridians Returning Home from Israel

‘I am proud of how quickly we have been able to activate resources and do what the federal government could not.’

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to guests during a campaign event at Refuge City Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Oct. 8, 2023. Scott Olson/Getty Images

In the final hours of Oct. 15, the first plane rescuing Floridians from an embattled Israel touched down in the Sunshine State.

Gov. Ron DeSantis was waiting on the tarmac at Tampa International Airport to greet the more than 300 residents—270 of whom were from the Tampa Bay area, and another seven from Orlando. More than 90 of them were children.