DeSantis Campaign Press Release - ICYMI: Ron DeSantis Stands with California Truckers at LA Harbor Grain Terminal

"I want to just give my support to the truckers and the trucking industry… A lot of times, people don't appreciate how integral these truckers are to our standard of living and our way of life."

Tallahassee, FL - Ron DeSantis today held a campaign event at the LA Harbor Grain Terminal in Long Beach, California to condemn Joe Biden and Gavin Newsom's Green New Deal policies. During his press conference, DeSantis also reiterated his call for Donald Trump to debate him one-on-one.

Watch the full remarks HERE.

On the importance of supporting truckers:

I want to just give my support to the truckers and the trucking industry. It's something that's very important to us in Florida. When I became governor, we had about 600 truckers that we would produce through our training programs every year. Now, through a lot of the investments we've made, we're producing 3,500 new truckers every year in the state of Florida. That is important for the economy, you doing your daily thing, a lot of times people don't appreciate how integral these truckers are to our standard of living and our way of life.

On the effects of California's leftist policies:

I think it'll be an interesting debate when we have on November 30, the debate between me and your governor here in California. I think it'd be instructive, not necessarily about which states better because I think people have voted with their feet on that, but as I see the things that are being done in California, this is basically the petri dish for Leftism in this country. So whatever Biden's doing, he's a few years behind what they're doing here in California. So I think the things that are doing like this diesel truck mandate, EVs, all that that is absolutely going to be done nationally. And I know they're working together on that. So it's really about future of the country. I think the country's going into a state of decline now. We need to reverse that decline. And the success we've had in Florida shows a model for American revival. And that's exactly why I'm running for president.

On Biden's reckless electric vehicle mandates:

We are going to reverse the Biden mandates for electric vehicles. We are going to save the American automobile. You should be able to purchase the car that is best for you and your family, you shouldn't have Washington, DC or the state of California telling you that you can only buy the type of car that they want you to buy. They say that this is somehow better for the environment to force electric vehicles, but I can tell you, one thing is, is the things that go into making these come from communist China. I don't see how it's better to rely on China for anything.

On debating Donald Trump one-on-one:

I'm somebody that's proven to not only get in these big fights, to win these fights, and then to deliver strong electoral victories, I could serve for two terms. I don't think a lame duck president is going to cut it, because we know there's so much that needs to be done. So, he needs to come, and he needs to defend his record. I remember going to his rallies in 2016, a lot of the things he said then, draining the swamp, Mexico paying for the border wall, eliminating the national debt, all these things he didn't do, and now he's running on a lot of the same promises he made back then. I think he owes it to come out and debate. I offered us and Sean Hannity is doing the debate between me and your governor here in California. I told Sean let's do one between me and Donald Trump on Hannity. I'm happy to do that. I think he should show up to the normal debates but if not, you know we'll do it, but let's go. He's had a lot to say about me on social media over the last nine months, well now we can get up there and we can make this case in-person.

On restoring the American dream:

You have people that are imposing policies in Washington that are making you pay the bill. They're not paying the bill for it; they just keep doing it. And this is behavior that really started with the COVID lockdowns in 2020, the trillions of dollars that were spent, of course, that's going to cause inflation. And that's both parties, Republicans and Democrats that have had a hand in that. And this is making it very, very difficult for people. And if we as a country, if you can't work hard and succeed, raise families, and realize the American dream. If it doesn't work for people that are doing everything right, this country is not going to succeed. And so, we need to fix that. And my goal as president, what I pledge to do as president is to restore that American Dream for people all throughout this country.

On the hardship Bidenomics has caused for American families:

Right now, grocery costs are probably double than what they were just four or five years ago. Things that we used to take for granted, are now becoming out of reach. And these are people, you're working hard, you're just trying to raise families and you get stuck with these big bills... Buying a new home with interest rates at 8%? Good luck with that. Our housing market is in big trouble because of that. Even purchasing new cars, the price of cars is up 70% in the last four or five years; these mandates are going to make those costs go up even more.

On Florida's universal school choice:

You want to talk about things like education, we have universal school choice in Florida. Every parent has a right to take a scholarship to a private school, they can go to a charter school and even within the school districts, they have choices to be able to go. On issue after issue, I've delivered where these other candidates have just talked. And I think it's very clear, as you look in these early states, where this stands. So, we're going to be that candidate built for the long haul, we're going to get the job done, starting in the early states, and we'll be able to bring this to a conclusion.

On bringing the border crisis to an end:

So everyone that has come illegally under Biden, we got to go -- they're sending back. So that's going to be the first priority. That's probably six or seven million people right there. It's going to require a lot of effort, it's going to require us to lean in, but if you don't have a sanction for violating the law -- I support building a wall, I support all this -- you're going to continue to have it. I would note that the former president is campaigning on the same promise he made in '16 that he didn't deliver on. In fact, Obama's first term there were more deportations than under Trump's term in office. Now he's saying he's going to do this great thing. He had for years and didn't get the job done. You know, we're going to get the job done. But I definitely think the people that are coming over -- kind of last one in, first one out, and we're going to really push forward strongly on that.