Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis fired back after being disrupted on Monday by an apparent left-wing activist at a packed event in South Carolina.

The Florida governor is set to become the first Republican candidate to file paperwork in the state for the first-in-the-South 2024 presidential primary, according to Associated Press reporter Meg Kinnard.

DeSantis was speaking to an affluent crowd at the Philip T. Glennon Community Center in Tega Cay, South Carolina, when he was interrupted.

Speaking about President Joe Biden, DeSantis said: “I have something to say to him: ‘Why don’t you focus on spending more time with your granddaughter in Arkansas, or at least acknowledge she exists, before you worry about our children?'”

As DeSantis spoke an LGBT activist opened up a pride flag and started shouting at the governor. DeSantis ignored the agitator as security quickly moved in to handle the issue.

Once security had the individual the crowd began to cheer and DeSantis pointed at the disruptor and yelled: “And they shouldn’t be worried about our children, either!”

“We don’t want you indoctrinating our children!” DeSantis exclaimed. “Leave our kids alone!”

WATCH:

"We don't want you indoctrinating our children." –@RonDeSantis

Leave. Our. Kids. Alone. #RD24 pic.twitter.com/cxkFk9y1Ga

— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) July 17, 2023

Almost immediately after @RonDeSantis took the stage, protesters unfolded a rainbow flag behind him.

"We don't want you indoctrinating our children," DeSantis said, as the protesters were removed & the booing crowd began to cheer.

"Leave our children alone." pic.twitter.com/Hf1E0R2TZa

— Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) July 17, 2023

Kinnard highlighted another moment at the event where a woman who identified herself as “a very hardcore Trump supporter” in the audience addressed the impact that the event had on her.

“My love for President Trump comes from all the despair, all the things that he’s been through, has served as our president of the United States. And he did a good job,” she said. “But all the things, I’m thinking more with my heart, and my sorrow and my love for him, and for this country.”

“But now I have, this is the most important vote that we’re gonna have,” the woman continued. “And I have to think more with my mind and what’s best for this country, and you did an excellent job and I certainly appreciate it.”

“God bless you,” DeSantis responded. “Thank you. I appreciate that and I agree with you, I appreciate what President Trump did, how they treated him with things like Russian collusion, was a disgrace. And he was treated wrong. He was treated in ways that were unconstitutional.”

“But here’s the thing, the question for us now is what are we going to do about it?” he continued. “And we need to end the weaponization of government, I will get that done. It’s not about me, it’s about you. It’s about me standing up for you and standing up for this constitution and restoring this country to what the Founding Fathers envisioned. And we will get it done. We will be focused, we will be disciplined, and we will make it happen.”

The local fire marshal said that approximately 900 people showed up to see DeSantis speak inside the room. Tega Cay has a population of about 12,000 people, according to local media.

That's it from @RonDeSantis, who had about 900 people at tonight's event, according to the fire marshal.

Tomorrow he'll be in Columbia to file his @SCGOP primary paperwork & rollout his military policy. pic.twitter.com/EaiQczVK70

— Meg Kinnard (@MegKinnardAP) July 17, 2023

Come for Morning Wire’s Afternoon Update’s straight news, but stay for the rapid reaction. The following five stories, and more, can be heard on today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update podcast. Click here to listen. 

1. Russia Pulls Out Of Ukraine Grain Deal 

This morning, Russia announced that it would not be renewing the grain deal that allowed Ukraine to export its grain around the world as the two countries fight a war.

That agreement, which first began in July 2022, was set to expire Monday evening at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The move could harm supply chains, lead to food shortages, cause grocery prices to surge, and further escalate the conflict. Ukraine has historically been known as “the bread basket of the world.”

Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba had a blunt message for Russia Monday morning: “Stop playing hunger games with the people around the world.”

Rapid Reaction: This war could be over if the U.S. pushed for a peace deal. Under President Joe Biden, we aren’t. So, the rest of the West will have to deal with its consequences. For now, those consequences aren’t resulting in the death of Americans, but they are making life more difficult. Experts have previously predicted that food prices will skyrocket — even higher than they already have been — without this deal in place.

2. Ukraine Attacks Crimean Peninsula

Ukraine also took responsibility Monday morning for an attack on a key bridge that connects Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. As CNN reports, the bridge holds both logistics and symbolic importance for Russia after the country annexed Crimea in 2014 — the last time it invaded Ukraine. According to reports, a husband and wife were killed in the explosions. 

Rapid Reaction: Again, why is the Biden adminsitration’s policy to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes?”

3. Flashfloods Kill Five, Two Missing In Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania authorities have been searching for a missing 9-month-old and his 2-year-old sister in the Philadelphia area after the duo was presumably swept away in flash floods that hit the region Saturday evening. That weather emergency killed five individuals in Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County.

Rapid Reaction: What else can you do but pray for the families?

4. Train Derailment

Also near Philly on early Monday morning, a CSX Norfolk Southern freight train derailed in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, forcing residents nearby to be evacuated from their homes and offices. Officials said one train car was transporting hazardous material, but insisted there was “no indication of any leaks or spills.” Nor have there been any injuries reported as of press time.

Rapid Reaction: Don’t worry, the Biden administration’s Transportation Department will get to the bottom of this right after it stops ramming equity into every crevice of American life …

5. $900 Million Powerball 

And, Monday night’s Powerball jackpot is expected to be a whopping $900 million. If taken as a lump sum, the estimated cash payout would be about $465.1 million.

Rapid Reaction: To quote Creed Bratton, a character from “The Office,” “I already won the lottery. I was born in the US of A, baby.”

I already won the lottery, I was born in the U.S of A. pic.twitter.com/zXPhizHsFs

— Creed Bratton *Parody (@Creed_Thoughts2) July 4, 2020

But, if there’s no Rundown on Tuesday, you can take it as a sign that I won the actual lottery.