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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis set social media aflame Tuesday night after he did not hold back in his response to a disruption by a woman he accused of being paid by George Soros, yelling back at her that “this ain’t my first rodeo.”
DeSantis was touting Florida’s economy at a state GOP campaign event in Tampa when he was interrupted mid-sentence by a heckler. The governor did not hesitate in his response.
“Hey, Soros isn’t paying you enough because you’re not very good at this,” he said, pointing to the woman as security personnel approached her in the crowd.
“You should try again,” DeSantis continued as the crowd booed the heckler. Keeping with the Soros line, DeSantis piled on, “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.”
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks with (L-R) James Uthmeier, Attorney General of Florida, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., as he hosts a Leadership Forum at the TPepin’s Hospitality Centre on Sept. 1, 2026 in Tampa, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
After another heckler interrupted the event again that same evening, DeSantis shot back, “Let me just give you guys some advice: standing up and screaming is not effective. Okay?”
“I’ve seen people try to do this over the years,” he continued. “Some are more effective than others.”
“I remember I had Antifa charge me, and one of our FDLE [Florida Department of Law Enforcement] leveled them, and it was funny, and it was good.”
“But here’s the deal,” he leaned in. “I think Soros is tightening his wallet because the people he’s paying are terrible at this.”
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George Soros pictured on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2020. (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“He used to hire people who were really good. Now they’re just screeching, and it’s almost like, I don’t even know what it is. And so, listen, you should be respectful, you should listen. This is part of the civic process,” he said. “But, if you’re not going to do that, do a better job at protesting, please. Gosh.”
“THAT’S MY GOVERNOR!!” reacted conservative commentator Eric Daugherty on X, writing, “DeSantis just PUMMELED a leftist heckler who disrupted his speech tonight.”
Another popular conservative influencer who simply goes by the name Greg reacted, “Soros protester is re-thinking opening her mouth at the RPOF [Republican Party of Florida] Event. DeSantis with the takedown.”
Another X account, DeSantis Appreciation Society, wrote, “The Tribal Chief @RonDeSantis just bodied a Soros protester into next week at the RPOF event.”
“DeSantis is a legend. Absolutely obliterated a liberal heckler, lol. Best governor ever!” wrote another popular conservative account going by the name “American Nightmare.”
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks with reporters after delivering his State of the State address on the first day of the legislative session at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee on March 4. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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In response, a spokesperson for the Soros family’s philanthropic group, the Open Society Foundations, directed Digital to a 2025 statement that said, “We do not pay people to protest or directly train or coordinate protestors.”
While the statement called nonviolent public protests “hallmarks of any vibrant society,” the group said that “All Open Society grantees are required to comply with the law and we expect our grantees to uphold our shared commitment to human rights, dignity, and nonviolence.”
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Under the Florida Constitution, DeSantis, who is serving his second consecutive term, is not eligible to seek another consecutive term as governor this year. During Tuesday’s event, he endorsed a statewide slate of Republicans, including GOP gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
The event showcased Donalds as well as other Republican candidates, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.
