DeSantis Gets Aggressive, Appeals to Everyday Americans at Third GOP Debate
MIAMI, FLORIDA — Ron DeSantis pivoted between speaking directly to voters and taking swings at his competition for the White House in 2024 during the third Republican presidential debate on Wednesday.
Speaking on his home turf, the governor sparred with his rivals on stage in Miami – and fired away at those who weren’t there as well.
“Donald Trump's a lot different guy than he was in 2016,” DeSantis said during his opening remarks. “He should explain why he didn't have Mexico pay for the border wall. He should explain why he racked up so much debt. He should explain why he didn't drain the swamp. … He owes it to you to be on this stage and explain why he should get another chance.”
“Actions speak louder than words,” he added. “We don't have time for excuses.”
READ MORE: Trump vs. DeSantis Rivalry Heats Up in Miami
Trump wasn’t the only one the pugilistic governor teed off on. DeSantis also ripped President Biden over his lackluster response to the Israel-Palestine conflict and his economic policy, saying of the latter: “I'm gonna throw it in the trash can on day one, where it belongs.”
DeSantis twice defended himself against Nikki Haley after she attacked his efforts to ban fracking in the Florida Everglades and prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from buying land near military bases.
APPEALING TO VOTERS
When he wasn’t throwing punches at other politicians, DeSantis promised voters he would fight for them and urged them to look at his accomplishments in Florida as proof that he can defeat the Democrats.
“In Florida I showed how it's done,” he said. “One year ago, here, we won a historic victory, including a massive landslide right here in Miami-Dade County. That's how we have to do it.”
On several occasions, the governor addressed issues plaguing everyday Americans.
“What's happening now, many of you are working hard, and you're falling further and further behind,” he said. “I've met people in Iowa, New Hampshire and all across the country, who've talked about all the burdens that they're facing with the rising prices.
“When they go grocery shopping, what they now do is they figure out what they have to take out of the cart once it's ringing up,” he continued. “Because it rings up so much faster and so much higher at the cash register that they can't afford the full cart of groceries anymore. We have to restore the American dream in this country.”
The governor pledged to reduce inflation, reign in the Federal Reserve and roll back regulations to “give the economy breathing room.”
SECURING THE SOUTHERN BORDER
DeSantis also shared a story of a father he met on the campaign trail whose son died of a fentanyl overdose.
“These elites in D.C. don't give a damn about what's going on in this country,” DeSantis said. “They don't care that we have tens of thousands of opioid deaths that the fentanyl's pouring in. They are not taking the type of action we need to.”
If elected, DeSantis said he would declare the porous southern border a national emergency on his first day in office, send the military to “stop the invasion cold,” designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, fund the completion of the border wall, deport illegal aliens and authorize the use of deadly force.
“If someone in the drug cartels is sneaking fentanyl across the border when I'm president, that's gonna be the last thing they do,” he said. “We're gonna shoot ’em stone cold dead.”
“HE SHOWED UP AS A FIGHTER”
Speaking with CBS News after the debate concluded, DeSantis’ campaign manager James Uthmeier praised the governor’s performance.
“He showed up as a fighter,” Uthmeier. “Tonight, he spoke directly to people at home the way no other candidate on stage did.”