DeSantis Campaign Press Release - ICYMI: Ron DeSantis on CNBC's Squawk Box

"In Florida, I'm a leader. I'm not an entertainer, I'm not running a soap opera down here. I make promises to people and then I use the authority that I have and I work with the legislature to deliver the promises."

Tallahassee, FL - Ron DeSantis today joined CNBC's Squawk Box. The highlights are below.

Watch the full interview HERE.

On building the border wall and making Mexico pay for it:

This weekend in Iowa, [Trump] said his famous promise that he made in 2016: he was going to build the wall and have Mexico pay for it. We all remember that. And he said, 'Well, there was no legal mechanism for me to do that. I couldn't have Mexico pay for it. You can't just ask them for money for a wall.' And so that was basically a central promise. So that to me was something that I was taken aback by. But the thing is, you actually could have Mexico pay for it. Yeah, they're not just going to cut you a check. You impose fees on remittances from people that are sending money back to Mexico and other countries. And he was advised that he could have done that. And he didn't do it. So I think ultimately, the choice for Republicans is, do we want somebody who's going to produce the leadership and results that will turn this country around? You ask, is Florida success replicable nationally? Of course it is. What they have in DC is theatrics, it's performative, but it doesn't actually produce results for people. In Florida, I'm a leader. I'm not an entertainer, I'm not running a soap opera down here. I make promises to people and then I use the authority that I have and I work with the legislature to deliver the promises. And so the results speak for themselves.

On how he'll deliver on his promises as President:

We'll be energetic. We will be out there. But I also understand the authorities of the office. I know how to use leverage, and then I also know, how do you actually get this stuff in for a landing? So for example, all the things we're talking about now, we're thinking to January 20th, 2025. How do you get it done? Budget reconciliation in the Senate, Biden used that to do his agenda. We're going to use that for our agenda so we're not just out there flailing around. We have a plan to get it done. And when I'd say this in Florida, when I got elected, Florida was viewed as the most significant closely divided state. Most of the races were one-point races, governor races, presidential races. I came in with a narrow margin and we ended up turning that into a 20-point victory. We brought people together. Yeah, the far left, we fought and we beat the far left, but I think that's what we need to do nationally. I do think that there's a strong majority of this country that wants a restoration of sanity. They want to see government focus on their needs and not the needs of the people in DC. And that's what I'll represent. And it'll be a bottom-up movement.

On why he is the best candidate for President:

Some people will be with Trump no matter what, but I think the bulk of the people are people that appreciate what he did. They also understand that he's got limitations in terms of his electability. He would be a lame duck on day one if he could even get elected. I think he'd have major problems with personnel. And of course, he didn't deliver on his core promises to drain the swamp, to have Mexico pay for the border wall, or to eliminate the debt. He added $7.8 trillion to the debt. So that's all fair game. We're going to be able to make that case, and I've delivered on these policies better than anybody.