DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Governor DeSantis on Fox & Friends: "Today is a Day to Reflect on Those that Made the Ultimate Sacrifice"

Governor Ron DeSantis joined Kayleigh McEnany, Joey Jones, and Todd Piro live on Fox & Friends this morning from U.S.S. Orleck in Jacksonville, Florida. During the interview, Governor DeSantis discussed his message to the American people on Memorial Day, the meeting he held with 9/11 Justice families yesterday, his faith, and how he will beat Joe Biden and lead our Great American Comeback. 

The interview came a day after Governor and First Lady Casey DeSantis hosted a Memorial Day BBQ in Tallahassee during which he held a private meeting with families who lost loves ones on September 11, 2001. Read the New York Post's exclusive coverage of the meeting HERE. Following the interview with Fox & Friends, Governor DeSantis delivered remarks at a Memorial Day ceremony in Jacksonville.

HIGHLIGHTS

On His Memorial Day Message:

"We have a great country built on great values. We have a great Constitution, a great Declaration of Independence, but those don't run on autopilot. If you don't have people throughout history, willing to put on the uniform, risk their lives and indeed give the last full measure of devotion, none of that is going to amount to very much. Today is a day to reflect on those that made the ultimate sacrifice, because if you don't have people that are willing to do that, then you really can't have a free society."

On Meeting with 9/11 Family Members:

"They've had a lot of frustrations about getting justice based on the 9/11 attacks. They're  suing Saudi Arabia. They're trying to get more documents. They've been made promises in the past about getting help and then basically some of our elected leaders have reneged on those promises. I think that they've been punched in the gut a number of times, and I think it's been difficult to now be two decades later and still trying to get full justice. It's a very personal thing, some of the people in that meeting were teenagers, when their fathers died. There was a granddaughter who wasn't even born yet, and she's lived through the memories of her grandfather who died in the South Tower. Those are things that I think are still very raw, even a couple of decades later. Look, 9/11, I was down in Florida, I didn't have any connection in New York City, but it inspired me to join the Navy almost 20 years ago. It had a profound effect on our country. To see that right there, the raw emotions for people that were directly impacted, was very, very powerful, and it moved my wife and I very much."

On the Power of Prayer and Casey DeSantis' Battle with Cancer:

"The amount of prayers that we received from people, not just in Florida but throughout the country, it made a huge difference. I saw her spirit be lifted up in ways that probably a lot of people did not think were possible. If anyone tells you to doubt the power of prayer, well, I'm an example here with me and my wife, where the power of prayer made a big difference."

On Rejuvenating the morale in the Military:

"I remember being in Iraq, and we were in Fallujah, and it was not going well, and yet people were still willing to sign up knowing they get sent to Iraq because they believed that this was something special. I think we've lost that a little bit. I think we really need to rejuvenate the morale in the military. We will do that on day one, and you will see very big changes in the services."

On Beating Joe Biden and Leading Our Great American Comeback:

"If I'm the nominee, I will beat Biden, and I will serve two terms, and I will be able to destroy leftism in this country, and leave woke ideology in the dustbin of history. At the end of the day, I've shown in Florida an ability to win huge swaths of voters that Republicans typically can't win while also delivering the boldest agenda anywhere in the country. And I think there is a reason why the legacy media is attacking me more than they're attacking anybody else, because I think they realize that if I'm successful in winning the Republican nomination, we are going to bring it home in the general election."

On Winning Iowa:

"We are competing everywhere. Iowa is very important. We've gotten an incredible amount of support; I got endorsed by 37 legislators there before I even announced my candidacy. We obviously have a lot in common with Iowa in terms of what Florida has done and what they've done under Governor Kim Reynolds. And I think the groundswell of support has been really, really strong."

Governor Ron DeSantis earned a commission in the U.S. Navy while attending Harvard Law School. During his active-duty service, Governor DeSantis deployed to Iraq in support of the SEAL mission in Fallujah, Ramadi and the rest of Al Anbar province. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal. As a Congressman, Governor DeSantis was a champion for those who have served our country, pushing for reforms to the VA to better serve veterans and expand support for mental health.