DeSantis Campaign Press Release - ICYMI: Ron DeSantis on CNN's The Source with Kaitlan Collins

"[Donald Trump] is missing in action right now. He doesn't show up. When he does show up, he reads off the teleprompter for 50 minutes, and then he gets back on the plane and goes home."

Tallahassee, FL - Ron DeSantis today joined CNN's The Source with Kaitlan Collins. The highlights are below.

Watch part one HERE and part two HERE.

On the importance of standing with Israel and helping American hostages:

I think the most important thing is to stand with Israel, both publicly and privately, and back their ability to wipe Hamas out. Go to the hilt, uproot the tunnels, do everything they need to do to make sure this never happens again. That's the most important thing. And I think that's pretty much what they want. Now, I don't think it's necessarily America's fight. I think we should support Israel. How we get involved -- now, clearly, we have an interest with the hostages that are there, some of whom are American, and I would work with Israel to be able to recover those folks. And I'm not sure what Biden's using those people for. I do know, he's got people in Iraq and Syria who are being targeted by Iran. They're kind of just sitting ducks. I'm not sure that that's the best policy either... But those hostage rescue efforts are, those very sensitive things as a very high risk maneuvers. But clearly, when we have Americans that are being held by a terrorist group, we would marshal resources to be able to rescue them.

On why he does not support red flag laws:

So we've always had and I've always said, if you're not mentally competent to own a firearm, that's something different than a red flag. What red flag is, is people would go in and say you may be a danger. So you could have someone lodge a complaint, different states do it different ways, oftentimes with not adequate due process. But I would say that's different from the mental health. I think most people agree that if you're not mentally competent, with rights come responsibilities and exercising the rights means you have a mental competency. So I don't think it's an issue with red flag. I think red flag has been abused, because people can just lodge a complaint. Sometimes they'll take somebody's firearms. And here's the thing. It's not even second amendment, but it is a fifth amendment due process issue. Can you take someone's property without having an adjudication? So I think it's different. I don't think it would have mattered in this case. I do think a commitment and involuntary commitment would have done the trip.

On Florida's declining crime rate:

You know, [red flag laws] were not something that I supported because I was concerned about the due process rights of individuals. Now our crime rate's at a 50-year low. I don't think it's because of that. I think it's because we've supported law enforcement, we have strong laws to hold criminals accountable and put them off the street. So I'd say if you look at why is Florida's crime declining while it's going up in places like California? I think it's probably more for our overall approach than that.

On his leadership in bringing stranded Americans home from Israel:

There were Americans that were stuck in Israel, they couldn't get out. We ended up bringing almost 700 home. They were all Americans, and most of them were Floridians, and we were--, but we didn't do only Floridians, we understood that there's others that needed. But I think the interesting thing about what I saw, because we've greeted the first flight that we brought back, 271 People 91 children, so you literally are having families come out with their dog, their kids. And then, they're very happy to see my wife and I when we greeted them, but one of the ladies told me she pointed to her six year old daughter, she said--, and they're from Florida, daughter just kept saying, 'Mommy, I don't want to hear the rockets. I don't wanna hear the rockets. I want Florida. I want Florida.' So we were able to get that done.

On his increasing momentum in the early states:

A lot of these rural counties, there'll be counties where there may be a few 1000 people, we'll get 100 people to show up at an event. You shake the hands, you answer the questions. That's not something you'll necessarily get to see in polling, that's something that comes out when people make their decisions to caucus. So we're doing it the right way. I'm going to be the only candidate does all 99 counties [in Iowa]. We've just started similar in New Hampshire. On Tuesday, I was with Governor Sununu. We did seven different events, town halls, house parties, retail stops, that's what you've got to do. You've got to show up. Donald Trump's not willing to show up. He's missing in action right now. He doesn't show up. When he does show up, he reads off the teleprompter for 50 minutes, and then he gets back on the plane and goes home. As voters are more keyed in, as we get closer to the holidays, you're not going to be able to get away with not putting in the work. So we're going to put in the work and we're going to get the job done.

On why he would make a better president than Donald Trump:

I'm more reliable on policy than Donald Trump and Republican voters, you know, I think we're starting to see that and we'll show that. I've delivered more on America First principles than anybody in the country and not just this most recent legislative session, all through my time, as governor. So we'll see that but here's the thing, I think it's true, I have shown an ability to be bold, to do big things, but then to actually win independent voters. In Florida, we won by a million and a half votes. I mean, we won independents by 18%. Donald Trump would not be able to do that and we need somebody who's going to be able to win the election, very important that you get that done.