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The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, published an extensive message on X this Saturday to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, in which he described the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, as "the ultimate political bet."
In his text, DeSantis recalled that the American revolutionaries were fighting against the most powerful nation in the world and that the vast majority of the colonists opposed or were indifferent to independence.
The governor emphasized the personal risk taken by the signatories of the document: the 56 men who signed the Declaration would have faced the gallows if the Revolution had failed, and they were mostly wealthy and influential individuals with much to lose.
To explain the motivation of the Founding Fathers, DeSantis referred to Thomas Jefferson and his argument of "a long train of abuses" experienced during the previous decade, which led them to conclude that inaction equated to accepting the destruction of their freedom.
"When they pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor, they meant it," he noted.
DeSantis defined the Declaration as "the ultimate political line in the arena": "rights are granted by God, not by the government; government is legitimate only with the consent of the governed; and its purpose is to safeguard the natural rights of the people."
He also described the American Revolution as "a conservative rebellion" that aimed to preserve traditional English rights and ultimately laid the foundations for "the greatest republic in history," with transformative consequences for the entire world.
DeSantis expressed his satisfaction that current Americans have inherited the legacy of freedom and benefit from the work of the Founding Fathers, but he warns that "our society and nation face many problems."
The message included a warning about the country's future: "Whether there will be a celebration of America 500 will largely depend on how the current generation addresses these challenges."
The publication by DeSantis came a day after he attended the event at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, where President Donald Trump delivered the keynote address for the semiquincentennial celebrations.
Trump proclaimed on that occasion that the U.S. is "the most successful, accomplished, and exceptional nation that has ever existed in the history of humanity" and labeled communism as "the greatest threat to our country, even more than World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11."
This Saturday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also released a video message directed at allies and embassies around the world, appealing to American exceptionalism and faith, while the main event "Salute to America 250" gathered over a million people at the National Mall in Washington D.C.
DeSantis's term as governor of Florida expires in January 2027, and Republican sources identify him as a potential presidential candidate for 2028, although in the polls he is trailing behind JD Vance and Marco Rubio.
DeSantis concluded his post with a call for gratitude towards the Founding Fathers and a brief "Happy America 250!", in contrast to the warning that preceded it: the legacy of freedom inherited by Americans in 2026 is not guaranteed for future generations.
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