Ron DeSantis opening Atlanta PAC office, appearing at Cobb gun store

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is making an appearance on March 30 at one of the largest gun stores in the nation, which is right here in metro Atlanta.

DeSantis, widely rumored to be a 2024 GOP White House contender, is appearing at 1:30 p.m. at Adventure Outdoors in Smyrna.

According to the EventBrite invitation, “DeSantis delivered a record-setting victory on November 8, 2022 with a battle-tested, bold agenda for the people of Florida. With his historic, nearly 20-point win, Governor Ron DeSantis created a blueprint for freedom in Florida that serves as a model for the rest of the nation. No leader has accomplished more for his state than Gov. DeSantis, and he is now sharing this winning blueprint with the country.”

DeSantis’ appearance is being organized by a group called And to the Republic.

DeSantis is also reportedly opening an Atlanta office for a super PAC that has been closely associated with him. According to Politico, the Never Back Down super PAC is expected to play a major role in launching DeSantis’ White House campaign, should he decide to enter the race.

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat who represents Georgia’s 7th district, condemned DeSantis’ visit.

“Just days after children were murdered in Nashville classrooms in the 38th mass shooting this month, Gov. Desantis is pushing to make it easier for criminals to wield guns while our kids continue to die,” she said. “Gov. Desantis is beholden to the NRA gun lobby and his push for irresponsible and dangerous gun laws have no place in Georgia.

DeSantis’ visit comes as the nation continue to wait on a potential indictment of Donald Trump, who has already entered the 2024 GOP presidential race. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been investigating whether the nation’s 45th president made hush-money payments during his 2016 presidential campaign to a pornographic film star.

An indictment of Trump would be an unprecedented moment in American history, the first criminal case against a former U.S. president.

Trump denies any wrongdoing and has slammed the Manhattan district attorney’s office probe as politically motivated. Last week, Trump’s Atlanta-based legal team filed a motion to quash a special Fulton County grand jury report into alleged election interference in the 2020 election.

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