DeSantis unveils Ronald Reagan statue at FIU, praises Reagan—s anti-communism legacy

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at Florida International University in Miami to unveil a statue of President Ronald Reagan, calling the piece "a fitting tribute" to a leader he said stood firmly against communism.

"This is a very fitting tribute, to a great American," DeSantis said, thanking FIU board chairman Carlos Duarte for funding the statue and calling it "an amazing statue" that will be "very, very powerful." He said the state has "more than any other state by far" led efforts to mark the nation—s 250th anniversary, citing placement of a George Washington statue in the state capital as an example.

DeSantis placed Reagan—s popularity in Miami in the context of the city—s Cuban exile community, saying many residents had "wounds" from the Castro takeover of Cuba and that Reagan—s anti-communist stance resonated there. "There was nobody, certainly at that time who was stronger against communism than Ronald Reagan," he said.

The governor told an anecdote about everyday life under Soviet rule to contrast with American freedoms: recounting a story of a man told to "come back in seven years" to buy a car, DeSantis said the anecdote illustrated how communism failed ordinary people.

DeSantis attributed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union in part to Reagan's leadership, saying, "we wouldn't have seen the Berlin Wall fall and the Soviet Union expire when we did were it not for President Reagan's leadership." He closed by inviting attendees to proceed with the unveiling.

The event opened with a brief introduction from the host, who named Dr. Richard Schroeder of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute among attendees and introduced the governor.