SARASOTA, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis is expanding Florida's relationship with conservative organization Turning Point USA, including ways to honor its former CEO, the late Charlie Kirk.

During a news conference Monday at New College of Florida, DeSantis announced that the winner of the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative (FDCI) speech and debate championship will receive a prize named in honor of Kirk, who was shot and killed in September while hosting a debate-style event at Utah Valley University.

DeSantis touted Kirk as a champion of speech and debate, calling his movement to bring conservative ideas to college campuses "the belly of the beast."

"Some of these students get up there and they do their talking points, and you'd have somebody like Charlie batting them down," the governo

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