Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis covered a wide range of topics during a CNN town hall event, taking shots at his 2024 GOP rivals, including former President Donald Trump, and addressing hot-button issues like immigration and Ukraine.
The Republican presidential candidate answered questions from the audience about his political views and even took the time to praise his wife, Casey, and her successful battle with breast cancer, saying that “people's prayers were answered.”
Everything Casey had to go through, I did what I could to help the family, but as a husband, I wish I had done the chemo for her so she didn't have to. pic.twitter.com/YuKwFJYZ0s
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 13, 2023
“When you see someone you love going through chemotherapy and it just sucks the life out of you,” she added while speaking with host Jake Tapper.
Among questions about foreign policy, DeSantis said it was an “easy” choice between the current conflicts in Israel and Ukraine when deciding where the US should give its greatest support.
“That's an easy answer. It's the state of Israel, they're our strongest allies in the Middle East,” he said. He also added that “as for the two-state solution, I don't think you can have a two-state solution when the Palestinian Arabs will see it as a step toward the destruction of Israel.”
But the GOP leader was also adamant that the ongoing crisis on the US southern border should be prioritized over fixing problems abroad.
“On day one, we're going to declare it a national emergency. I'm sending the military to the southern border. We're going to stop the invasion,” DeSantis said.
On the first day we will declare it a national emergency.
I send the army to the southern border.
When people are there illegally, they have to be sent back. pic.twitter.com/WXBUHINKlu
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 13, 2023
“If Trump had built the border wall, it would have been very difficult for Biden to bring in that many people,” he told Tapper as he repeated his criticism of the former president.
“Talk is cheap and I'm sick of Republicans using the issue every election cycle to try to get donations and try to tell people they're going to do it. We're going to bring this issue to a conclusion,” DeSantis vowed.
His criticism of Trump is not new, as he has previously called out the former president, who lives in Florida, over the border issue. Although Trump leads by double digits in most major polls, DeSantis is confident he is the “only” candidate who can beat him in the primary.
Donald Trump has refused to debate throughout this campaign.
He doesn't think he owes it to Iowans. He doesn't think he owes it to Granite Staters to show up and debate.
No one is entitled to this nomination. pic.twitter.com/kQQNirAazt
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 13, 2023
“I'm the only one running who can beat Trump one-on-one. Why? Because the other candidates can't get enough support from centrist Republicans and transition conservatives,” he claimed.
“He's a different Donald Trump than he was in 2015 and 2016. He was colorful then, but he really was America first in terms of policies. It's so much about him now,” he added, calling out Trump for not participating in the four presidential primary debates.
He took shots at another 2024 challenger, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, as he criticized her support of Gov. Chris Sununu, RN.H., on Tuesday.
Ron DeSantis on Chris Sununu with support from Nikki Haley,
His answer is brilliantI look forward to campaigning with him when he is the nominee.
What a class act #DeSantisForPresident pic.twitter.com/x690X3ZDk8
— Mike Gee ✡️ (@MikeGeeNY00) December 13, 2023
“Even an activist as good as Chris isn't going to be able to document that Nikki is an establishment candidate. I mean, she's being funded by liberal California Democrats like the founder of LinkedIn, Wall Street people like the boss from JP Morgan,” DeSantis said. “She really reflects the old failed Republican establishment of yesteryear. We must not go back to that.”
On the issues of abortion and health care, DeSantis laid out his views, but kept a constant spotlight on what he saw as Trump's failures, accusing him of “flip-flopping” on the issue of right to life
What is your position on the right to life @RonDeSantis
Best answer yet #DeSantisForPresident pic.twitter.com/bhTeuX1lYt— Mike Gee ✡️ (@MikeGeeNY00) December 13, 2023
DeSantis told the town hall hearing that “the biggest health care problem we've had in this country in the last four or five years is COVID-19,” and pledged, “I will hold accountable those agencies that they lied about it.” country, the CDC, NIH, FDA, people like Fauci, all those things that really hurt this country. And yet no one has been held accountable.”
DeSantis also called on Americans to come back together and end divisive political rhetoric.
I'm going to take strong positions. I will give great results.
What I won't do is go out of my way to alienate people for no reason. pic.twitter.com/bD6NvTBXny
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 13, 2023
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