Florida governor Ron DeSantis reiterated his call for a ban on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) during a visit to Jacksonville on Tuesday. Last March, DeSantis pushed for legislation to prohibit a CBDC in Florida. At Tuesday’s event called “Government of Laws, Not Woke Politics,” he stated that if the U.S. Federal Reserve or Treasury were to codify a CBDC, his state would have a “prohibition against” it.

DeSantis Slams ‘Woke Politics,’ Insisting ‘They Don’t Like Crypto Because They Can’t Control Crypto’

On May 2, 2023, the Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis spoke about the state’s economic policy during a visit to Jacksonville on May 2, 2023. He signed a bill aimed at combatting the U.S. government’s environmental social governance (ESG) standards, stating that he wanted to protect Floridians from ESG. The bill prohibits the use of Florida’s state funds for ESG standards and investments.

“We are recognizing the dangers with this agenda,” DeSantis stated. “It’s not your agenda; it’s not the agenda of the average Floridian or average American. This is an elite-imposed agenda,” the governor added. In addition to criticizing ESG standards, DeSantis also spoke out against the federal government’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) ideas. He expressed support for cryptocurrencies that are not associated with CBDCs.

“I think what the danger of the digital currency is that, one, they want to make that the sole currency, they want to get rid of crypto,” DeSantis stated. “They don’t like crypto because they can’t control crypto. So they want to put everything in a central bank digital currency.”

DeSantis shares the view of several Republican officials who have criticized the idea of a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Minnesota congressman Tom Emmer introduced the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) Anti-Surveillance State Act, while Texas senator Ted Cruz has created legislation against the government developing a CBDC. Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has also spoken out against CBDCs, and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. has warned that a central bank digital currency could lead to financial slavery.

During his visit to Jacksonville, DeSantis emphasized his opposition to CBDCs, stating that they would not be accepted in the Sunshine State. “I don’t think Congress would authorize it, but if the Fed or the Treasury tries to do it unilaterally – in Florida, we [will] have a prohibition against that,” the governor remarked. “That’s ensuring your financial independence and making sure that we don’t have a financial surveillance state where they know every transaction that you’re making.”