Florida Gov. and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks throughout a press convention on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, July 21, 2023. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
A handful of protesters maintain indicators throughout a press convention with Florida Gov. and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, July 21, 2023. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
Talking on the Utah state Capitol on Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis mentioned he was operating for president to “reverse the decline” within the nation, as he mentioned he did in Florida.
“Our nation is in decline,” he mentioned. “We see it, we really feel it. I don’t suppose that that decline is inevitable. I believe that decline is a selection.”
Saying he ruled in “daring colours, not pale pastels,” DeSantis laid out his platform, which incorporates stands on combating debt, reining within the federal forms and taking the “woke” out of presidency establishments, together with schooling and the army.
He was launched by Utah state Senate President Stuart Adams, who has endorsed DeSantis. Adams ribbed the governor over which state has the higher financial report — each Utah and Florida have ranked first in financial efficiency in nationwide polls.
DeSantis didn’t talk about any of his opponents straight, together with former President Donald Trump, who's the front-runner within the race, however he did say Republicans “don’t get a mulligan in 2024” — which means a do-over — and mentioned presidents who serve two phrases in workplace are higher capable of get issues finished. Trump solely served one time period earlier than shedding in 2020.
He additionally mentioned the Republican Celebration has developed a “tradition of shedding” over the previous few cycles, once more taking tacit purpose at Trump, who has been lively in recruiting candidates and shaping the GOP’s nationwide message since he gained the presidency in 2016.
Behind DeSantis stood 17 state lawmakers and two Republican mayors who've endorsed him in his race for president. DeSantis was additionally anticipated to satisfy with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox whereas on the town.
Cox has not made an endorsement within the race, though he has mentioned he would like to see a governor because the Republican nominee for president in 2024.
A marketing campaign reset in Utah?
DeSantis got here to Utah throughout per week when it regarded like his marketing campaign was making an attempt to do a reset.
On the press convention Friday, DeSantis was requested whether or not he hoped to jump-start his marketing campaign throughout his go to to the state.
“It’s a state-by-state race,” DeSantis responded. “You recognize, we’re specializing in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina. After which, as we get into Tremendous Tuesday, which after all is Utah, and that actually requires being on the bottom, it requires constructing out the group and we’re doing that.”
Since declaring his run for the presidency in Could, DeSantis has run behind Trump in nationwide polls. In current months, he has slipped additional behind.
Now DeSantis appears to be altering ways.
He saved information media at arms size for many of his marketing campaign, however just lately he has finished extra interviews, together with one this week with CNN’s Jake Tapper, the place he spoke about his new protection coverage, “mission first,” which he mentioned would give attention to taking politics out of the army and constructing a drive that's “deadly, prepared and succesful.”
On Friday on the state Capitol, he spent about half-hour talking and taking questions from the native and nationwide media.
DeSantis on Cox’s ‘Disagree Higher’ initiative
DeSantis just isn't identified for his mild model of governance.
When requested about Cox’s new initiative “Disagree Higher,” rolled out as a part of his management of the Nationwide Governors Affiliation, DeSantis mentioned he's prepared to do battle along with his ideological opponents, however mentioned he doesn’t “stoop” to calling individuals names.
“Folks know the place I stand. Once I take a stand, we take it and we run with it and we ship the outcomes,” he mentioned. “On the identical time, you don’t see me calling individuals names.”
“I believe finally that is in regards to the imaginative and prescient for the long run. And a few individuals are going to have a special imaginative and prescient for the long run. And also you get into the sector of concepts, you battle it backwards and forwards, and will the perfect candidate win.”
He mentioned he’s labored throughout the aisle in Florida on points like defending the setting and elevating academics’ pay.
“My political philosophy is a part of how I strategy all these items. However that's not finally, you recognize, my combating religion. My combating religion is religion in God,” he mentioned. “And so with that being mentioned, I don’t take it as personally when individuals disagree with me on politics. And so politics has a job, however I don’t suppose it must be the No. 1 divide in our nation.”
DeSantis lays out his platform
DeSantis hit acquainted speaking factors in his opening remarks, together with talking about his upbringing as a toddler of working class mother and father, and the minimal wage jobs he needed to put himself via college.
“I labored each job beneath the solar. And the explanation I did that was as a result of I consider that America, when you work arduous and get essentially the most out of your God-given means, then you definately’re going to have the ability to succeed. And I believe we’re shedding that as a rustic,” he mentioned.
DeSantis didn’t point out that the colleges he attended had been Yale College as an undergraduate and Harvard Regulation College, however he did convey up his army service — noting he's the one veteran amongst Republican candidates. He served within the Navy from 2004 to 2019, together with assignments in Guantanamo and Iraq.
Additionally lacking? DeSantis didn’t point out his struggle with Disney, one among his typical speaking factors.
He did push again on the narrative President Joe Biden is making an attempt to construct round his financial coverage, dubbed “Bidenomics.”
“I imply, take into consideration a working household. Rates of interest are excessive ... vehicles are as costly as they’ve ever been. The worth of groceries, all of the requirements have gone up dramatically simply in the previous couple of years. That isn't a recipe for achievement for individuals to appreciate the American dream,” he mentioned.
DeSantis additionally pointed to the quick rising nationwide debt, saying he was capable of pay down 24% of Florida’s money owed throughout his time as governor. And he additionally spoke about his issues with the “administrative state,” the nation’s massive federal forms, which he referred to as an unconstitutional fourth department of presidency.
On schooling, DeSantis mentioned Florida colleges are “educating regular schooling, not political indoctrination,” and he additionally mentioned he beat “leftist ideologues” by eliminating range, fairness and inclusion places of work at Florida state faculties and universities.
Florida college curriculum
DeSantis has acquired some warmth just lately over Florida’s Black historical past curriculum, which incorporates language that claims center college college students ought to study “how slaves developed abilities which, in some cases, might be utilized for his or her private profit.”
In Utah, six protesters stood outdoors the room on the Capitol whereas DeSantis spoke to register their anger over the curriculum language. One held an indication saying “slavery didn't profit the enslaved.”
A handful of protesters maintain indicators throughout a press convention with Florida Gov. and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, July 21, 2023.
Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Information
One of many protesters was Darlene McDonald, engagement chair for the Utah Black Roundtable and a former congressional candidate.
“I need to remind everybody right here that we shouldn't be going backwards, we should always go ahead. And in the event that they need to take Mr. DeSantis’ insurance policies on a nationwide scale, that's going backwards and we is not going to stand for that quietly,” mentioned McDonald. “So all of us should stand collectively.”
DeSantis was requested in regards to the controversy over the curriculum, and about Vice President Kamala Harris visiting Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday to talk out towards the modifications.
He mentioned he thought the vp’s go to to Florida was “completely outrageous.”
“These are essentially the most sturdy requirements in African American historical past, in all probability anyplace within the nation,” he mentioned. “Anybody who reads that may see that it’s very thorough, very factual, and for them to attempt to demagogue it — look, which will have labored previously. No one’s shopping for their nonsense anymore.”
He directed additional inquiries to his state’s Division of Training.
Mentioning Trump, with out mentioning Trump
DeSantis didn’t point out Trump straight throughout his remarks, however he did convey up the query of electability a number of occasions, seen as a potential weak spot for the previous president.
“That purple wave that was alleged to occur throughout the nation, it occurred in Florida, I’ll let you know that,” DeSantis mentioned, talking in regards to the 2022 midterm elections, when he gained reelection as governor.
“However we’ve simply received to don't have any distractions. Not one of the different aspect issues. We have to focus this election on Joe Biden’s failures and the way we’re going to have the ability to put America on a greater path. And that’s precisely what I'll do because the nominee.”
A staffer for DeSantis’ marketing campaign despatched a brand new nationwide ballot to the Deseret Information earlier than his remarks Friday. Commissioned by AARP, the ballot confirmed Biden beating Trump 47% to 43% in a head-to-head matchup, with unbiased voters breaking decidedly for Biden. The identical ballot confirmed DeSantis operating even with Biden in a hypothetical matchup, and operating forward amongst unbiased voters.
Contributor: Vanessa Hudson