DeSantis speaks to crowd of 1,500 in Greenville. Here's what to know about his SC stop.

In his first South Carolina tour since his presidential announcement, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis platformed his gubernatorial track record Friday and said that he would "wage a war on the woke” if he was elected president.

Nearly 1,500 attendees with "DeSantis 2024" signs in their hands at the Greenville Convention Center cheered when the Republican hopeful said he planned to fight ideological indoctrination, "diversity, inclusion and equity" and gender identity issues.

DeSantis made three stops in the state, starting in Beaufort Friday morning, then Lexington, before coming to Greenville.

He stopped in Spartanburg in April where he spoke to nearly 1,000 attendees at First Baptist-North.

Much like his previous stump speeches, DeSantis continued to emphasize changes in Florida's voting trends.

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When he was first elected as Gov. in 2018, Florida was considered to be a swing state, he said.

"People told me to not rock the boat when I got in because I might upset this delicate political balance and help the Democrats," DeSantis continued. "Of course, I rejected that advice."

Here are some key takeaways from his stop in Greenville:

DeSantis and 'the Florida blueprint'

During his time in the Governor's mansion, DeSantis has signed a plethora of controversial legislation ranging from banning gender-affirming care for youth under the age of 18, nixing funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state colleges, along with teachings of "critical race theory" and gender identity.

This year, DeSantis also signed a six-week abortion ban similar to South Carolina's recently passed legislation.

Leadership, he said, was not about entertainment.

"It's not about building a brand. It's not about virtue signaling," he said. "Leadership is about producing results, and in the state of Florida, I'm proud to say we have produced results that are second to none."

Much like his previous stump speeches in Iowa and New Hampshire, DeSantis also focused on crime and federal COVID-19 mandates. Through it all, he refrained from challenging other Republican candidates in his speech.

Instead, he leveled most of his attacks on President Joe Biden and his administration's border and immigration policies. Similar to South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's presidential pitch, DeSantis said he would build a wall on the border and take on Mexican cartels to eradicate the fentanyl epidemic in the U.S. He remained forceful as he referenced his 2022 decision to ship immigrant asylum seekers to Martha's Vineyard.

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DeSantis depending on anti-transgender, LGBTQ rhetoric

DeSantis rose to prominence after he instituted a ban on the instruction of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.

Soon after, Disney, the state's largest employer, voiced its trepidation against the bill, but DeSantis has remained on the offensive.

The anti-transgender and LGBTQ rhetoric found a lot of supporters in the Upstate.

Rep. Ashley Trantham, R-Greenville, and Rep. April Cromer, R-Anderson, attended Friday's event. Trantham authored the "Save Women's Sports Act," which banned transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. Cromer gained notoriety for asking lawmakers the "definition of a woman' during an SC Statehouse debate.

The two women invited All-American swimmer Riley Gaines to DeSantis' Greenville stop. Gaines is a University of Kentucky graduate who found national attention after she rebuked transgender athlete Lia Thomas' NCAA national championship in 2022.

"He has tackled these issues. He has drawn the line here and he has said no more,” Gaines said in her speech.

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Trump's shadow looms over DeSantis' run

Charles Walker, a Spartanburg County resident, hoped DeSantis would end up as Donald Trump's vice president.

"I like Ron DeSantis. I love his values, I love his morals, and that's what the country needs," he said.

But he remains a true Trump supporter.

"I'm 100% Trump," he said.

Greenville County resident Barbara Finn said the Florida Gov. had a good shot at winning because of his support among the Hispanic community in Florida. She also said he carries less baggage than Trump.

"Trump has a lot to overcome with the media," Finn said. "It's unfortunate because I thought he did a tremendous job. He got a lot accomplished."

A Reuters/Ipsos poll in early April showed 48% of Republicans saying they want Trump to be their party's presidential nominee in 2024, with 19% supporting DeSantis.

Out of a list of 15 Republicans who have declared a 2024 presidential run or are expected to, Trump received 46% of support among Republican and Republican-leaning voters, followed by DeSantis at 32%, a March 15 Quinnipiac University poll found. Former SC Gov. Nikki Haley received 5%. Of the remaining 12 listed declared or potential candidates, no one topped 3% of the vote.

A Winthrop poll released April 12 showed support for Donald Trump’s run for president in 2024 is high among South Carolina Republican registered voters.

Once the event ended, Trump's campaign sent an email attacking DeSantis' visibility, comparing the number of people tuning in to watch the two candidates across various platforms.

"There were more people on YouTube tuned into high school baseball and softball games than DeSantis' event in South Carolina," the email said.

Democrats: DeSantis among a competition of extremists

Greenville County Democratic Party Chair Amanda McDougald Scott said DeSantis was more dangerous than Trump since most of his policies were deliberate in nature.

"It undermines the fabric of the United States, our freedom and what we're here for," she said.

Several members of the SC House Freedom Caucus members, a group of firebrand, far-right Republicans, were in the crowd. Lawmakers like Trantham and Josiah Magnuson, R-Spartanburg, showed up in a show of support.

"The Freedom Caucus of the South Carolina Statehouse, the most extreme troublemakers in the General Assembly, are the ones supporting him," she said. "We won't find any of the measured, more reasonable legislators actually supporting him."

Devyani Chhetri covers South Carolina politics for the Greenville News and USA Today Network. Reach her via email at dchhetri@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Republican White House 2024 hopeful Ron DeSantis speaks in Greenville