DeSantis Cranks Up the Heat on Trump in California Speech
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA — During a Friday speech to the California GOP convention, Ron DeSantis hit back at former President Donald Trump’s claim that he turned Florida red.
“I understand that one of my residents was here earlier saying that he turned Florida red,” DeSantis said without naming Trump. “All I will say is that Ronald Reagan made the point there’s no limit to what you can do when you don’t care who gets the credit. I just wish if he was the one that turned Florida red that he wouldn’t have turned Georgia and Arizona blue because that’s not been good for us at all.”
Some have said that the former president’s involvement in Georgia’s senatorial races in 2020, the subsequent runoff races and the 2022 midterm elections cost Republicans the two Senate seats, leading Democrats to take back control of the Senate.
SUFFERING UNDER INFLATION
DeSantis also criticized Trump for contributing to the national debt, something he often comes back to on the campaign trail.
“We know that the inflation that we’re suffering under is the result of borrowing, printing and spending by members of Congress in both parties across two administrations over the last three and a half years that sunk trillions and trillions of dollars into the economy paying people not to work,” DeSantis said. “Of course, you are going to get inflation when that happens.”
For the first time in the nation’s history, the national debt hit $33 trillion this month. Under Trump’s administration, the national debt increased by $7.8 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
“I’M NOT BACKING DOWN”
Pointing to his record in Florida, DeSantis said he’s the only one who’s delivered on his promises.
“In Florida, we have produced results that are second to none,” DeSantis said. “People say things that I think they think you want to hear. But I’m the only guy on that stage that’s actually delivered on every single issue that we’re talking about,” DeSantis said to applause.
“I’m not backing down,” DeSantis added. "We’ve got a country to save. Let’s get the job done.”
BROKEN PROMISES
Earlier on Friday in Long Beach, DeSantis said Trump failed to build the wall and drain the swamp, promises made during 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,” DeSantis said. “And now he is running on a lot of the same promises he made back then.”
Last week, DeSantis challenged Trump to a one-on-one debate and pressured the former president over his absence at the Republican debates.
“I think he owes it to voters to come out and debate,” DeSantis said. “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.’”