Portrait of Ron DeSantis

DeSantis Campaign Press Release - ICYMI: Ron DeSantis on NewsNation's The Hill

October 18, 2023

"I want to send the message: I will get the job done. I'm not going to make excuses. We're done with the excuses."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Ron DeSantis today joined NewsNation's Blake Burman on The Hill. The highlights are below.

Watch the full interview HERE.

On how President DeSantis would reverse Biden's harmful foreign policies:

Well, I would say he needs to do a couple things that he hasn't done yet. One is he needs to impose financial sanctions on Iran to the maximum extent allowable under law. Iran ultimately orchestrated and funded this, groups like Hamas and Hezbollah would not be able to function the way they do without the patronage of the Iranians. I think Biden still holds out hope that there can be a rapprochement with the Iranians, that is not going to happen. So I would do that. Second thing, I would back Israel publicly, which he has done, but I think privately, they're urging more restraint. And to me, this has to end with Hamas, suffering an unconditional defeat. Israel cannot live like this, where they suffered the most significant attack against Jews since the Holocaust and act like, that's something that could just happen again in the future. So they have to take care of that. I would not be urging restraint behind the scenes, I would tell them to get the job done. And then finally, Biden, he's sending $100 million to the Gaza Strip for quote, humanitarian assistance. The problem with that is, Hamas runs the Gaza strip, that is going to be commandeered by Hamas. And oh, by the way, Hamas is still holding people hostage. They're still holding Americans hostage, I would not send that money. And I've actually challenged all the other Republican presidential candidates step up to the plate and join me in saying don't send money to Hamas.

On how strong leadership can resolve the DC chaos:

What I see is just a contrast between what's going on in DC and how we roll in Florida. We don't do political empty calories down here. We don't do the sideshow. We don't do the drama. We just deliver results across the board. And we've been able to do that on so many issues, from paying down debt, cutting taxes, school choice, standing up to the CCP, you name it. Heck, we just brought people back from Israel. When everyone else was dragging their feet, we got it done. And I think the problem with what they're doing in DC is the drama is not leading to any results. So it's like their chickens with their head cut off. They can't get their act together. Meanwhile, we've got an open border, we've got rising prices, we've got issues with crime in the streets. And of course, you now have more instability around the world. And voters want to see results. So I think they need to get their act together and focus on the American people. Stop the palace intrigue and deliver results for your constituents. That's how we've led in Florida. And oh, by the way, when I'm President, that is the type of framework we're going to work from in DC.

On delivering on Donald Trump's promise to build the border wall and make Mexico pay:

I've always responded to his attacks throughout the whole campaign. I've held him accountable on different things. But I do think when he's saying things like in Iowa the other day that well, you know, he couldn't follow his campaign promise to have Mexico pay for the border wall because there was, quote, no legal mechanism he could have used to have Mexico pay. So, he's rationalizing that failure. The problem is that was his main campaign promise. I was at the rallies. It was fun. Everyone was cheering that. And the second thing is there actually was a way he could have done that. He could have imposed fees -- and I will do this as president -- you could have imposed fees on the remittances that people send to foreign countries, Mexico included. That would raise billions of dollars.

If he had followed through and built the wall, it would have been much more difficult for Biden to get away with what's happened. I think everyone sees what's happened in Israel, and then they see people demonstrating in favor of Hamas here in the United States, and then they know there's been 7 million people that have come across the border. I think we're all very concerned about the security of this country, given that. So, when he's saying that he couldn't get the job done, look, I want to send the message; I will get the job done. I'm not going to make excuses. We're done with the excuses. We've got to figure out a way to do it. And I will deal with the border. I'll have the wall. We'll take on the drug cartels, which is really what should have happened a long time ago.

Ron DeSantis, DeSantis Campaign Press Release - ICYMI: Ron DeSantis on NewsNation's The Hill Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/370814

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