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The Florida governor rose to national GOP stardom throughout the COVID pandemic, when he kept the state largely open during the early days of the virus' spread and has been vocally skeptical about vaccine efficacy.

Iowa attendees jumped to their feet several times on Friday when DeSantis addressed COVID.

\"PHOTO:
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
PHOTO: Attendees arrive near the casino floor as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis makes his first trip to the early voting state of Iowa for a book tour stop at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in Davenport, Iowa, March 10, 2023.
>

\"I'm just proud to say that when during COVID the world lost its mind, when common sense suddenly became an uncommon virtue, the state of Florida stood as a refuge of sanity,\" he said. \"The elites were wrong about lockdowns. They were wrong about forced masking. They were wrong about closing schools. They were wrong about denying natural immunity.\"

DeSantis also touted his administration's decision to ban \"any COVID shot mandates for schoolchildren and university students\" and his push against vaccine mandates, saying, \"nobody should have to choose between a job they need and a shot they don't want.\"

The governor also took a swipe at President Joe Biden, calling on him to allow Novak Djokovic, the tennis champion who refuses to take the COVID vaccine, to compete at the Miami Open, despite the tournament's vaccination requirements.

\"If Djokovic wants to meet us in the Bahamas, we'll get him over here by boat, get him to the state of Florida so he can compete,\" DeSantis said to applause.

--ABC News' Katherine Faulers and Will Steakin contributed to this report.

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