Ron DeSantis in First GOP presidential debate
On Abortion:
I believe in a culture of life, and the Heartbeat Bill
Q: You signed a six-week abortion ban in Florida. Gov. Ron DESANTIS: I believe in a culture of life. I was proud to sign the Heartbeat Bill. I remember the most impactful moments of my life was when I heard the heartbeat of my oldest daughter in my
wife's womb, and then saw the sonograms of all three of my kids. What the Democrats are trying to do on this issue is wrong, to allow abortion all the way up to the moment of birth.
Q: Would you sign a six-week ban federally?
DESANTIS: I'm going to stand on the side of life. Look, I understand, Wisconsin is going to do it different than Texas. I understand Iowa and New Hampshire are going to do different.
But I will support the cause of life as governor and as president.
Q [to Gov. HALEY]: Your state today confirmed a 6-week abortion.
Nikki HALEY: I am unapologetically pro-life. Having said that, we need to stop demonizing this issue.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Drugs:
Send US troops into Mexico to fight drug cartels
Q: Would you support sending US Special Forces over the border into Mexico to take out fentanyl labs, to take out drug cartel operations? DESANTIS: Yes, and I will do it on day one. Here's the thing. The cartels are killing tens of thousands of our
fellow citizens. You want to talk about a country in decline? You have the cartels controlling a lot of part of your Southern border? We have to reestablish the rule of law, and we have to defend our people. The president of the United States has got
to use all available powers as commander in chief to protect our country and to protect the people. So, when they're coming across, yes, we're going to use lethal force. Yes, we reserve the right to operate. How many more tens of thousands are we going
to let to die [from fentanyl]? That is happening all across this country because of the poison that they are bringing in. So, as president, would I use force? Would I treat them as foreign terrorist organizations? You're darn right I would.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Energy & Oil:
We will be energy dominant again in this country
Ron DESANTIS: We must reverse Bidenomics so that middle class families have a chance to succeed again. We need to lower your gas prices. We're going to open up all energy production. We will be energy dominant again in this country. I showed it could
be done in the state of Florida. I pledge to you as your president we will get the job done and I will not let you down.Vivek RAMASWAMY: This isn't that complicated, guys, unlock American energy: drill, frack, burn coal and embrace nuclear,
put people back to work by no longer paying them more to stay at home, reform the US Fed, stabilize the US dollar, and go to war.
Gov. Doug BURGUM: We can't just talk about the Biden
economy because the economy, energy and national security are all tied together. We're paying too much for energy right now. But part of the reason why is because the Biden policies on energy.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Principles & Values:
Our country is in decline, but can be reversed
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Our country is in decline. This decline is not inevitable. It's a choice. We need to send Joe Biden back to his basement and reverse American decline.And it starts with understanding we must reverse
Bidenomics so that middle class families have a chance to succeed again. We cannot succeed as a country if you are working hard and can't afford groceries, a car, or a new home while
Hunter Biden can make hundreds of thousands of dollars on lousy paintings. That is wrong.
We also cannot succeed when the Congress spends trillions and trillions of dollars.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On War & Peace:
Europe should pull their weight and fund Ukraine war
Q: The US has committed nearly $77 billion in aid to the Ukraine war, and asking Congress for $24 billion more. Is there anyone on stage who would not support the increase of more funding to Ukraine?Vivek RAMASWAMY: I would not support it.
Gov. Ron
DESANTIS: Europe needs to step up and do their job. I will have Europe pull their weight. Right now they're not doing that. I think our support should be contingent on them doing it.
RAMASWAMY: I would not.
And I think that this is disastrous, that we are protecting against an invasion across somebody else's border, when we should use those same military resources to prevent across the invasion of our own southern border.
We are driving Russia further into China's hands. The Russia-China alliance is the single greatest threat we face.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Crime:
Hollowed-out cities are symbols of national decline
These hollowed out cities, this is a symptom of America's decline. And one of the biggest reasons is because you have George Soros funding these radical left-wing district attorneys. They get into office and they say they're not going to prosecute
crimes. When we had two of these district attorneys in Florida elected with Soros funding who said they wouldn't do their job, I removed them from their posts.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Drugs:
Use force at border; leave drug pushers stone-cold dead
As president your first obligation is to defend our country and its people. I am going to declare it a national emergency. I'm not going to send troops to Ukraine, but
I am going to send them to our Southern border. When these drug pushers are bringing fentanyl across the border, that's going to be the last thing they do. We're going to use force and we're going to leave them stone-cold dead.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Education:
We need education in this country; not indoctrination
The decline in education is one of the major reasons why our country is in decline. We need education in this country, not indoctrination in this country. We have to make sure that what our schools are doing is focusing on solid academics. In Florida,
we eliminated Critical Race Theory from our K through 12 schools. We eliminated gender ideology from our K through 12 schools. We have elevated the importance of American civics and teaching our kids about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Health Care:
COVID: it was a mistake for Feds to lock down the economy
Why are we in this mess? Part of it, and a major reason is because how this federal government handled COVID-19 by locking down this economy. It was a mistake. It should have never happened. And in Florida, we led the country out of lockdown.
We kept our state free and open. As your President, I will never let the deep state bureaucrats lock you down. You don't take somebody like Fauci and coddle him. You bring Fauci in. You sit him down. And you say, Anthony, you are fired.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Homeland Security:
Keep military service voluntary instead of mandatory
Q: Would you support mandatory military service?DESANTIS: I think it should be voluntary. I'm somebody that volunteered to serve, inspired by September 11th. When you go in that type of environment, anything you have, your personal agenda, you check
it at the door. You go there and it's about focusing on the mission above all else. That's how I would view being the president of the United States. It's not about me. My sole focus will be on your future and reversing this country's decline.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
On Principles & Values:
2024 is make or break; we're not getting a mulligan
This is our time for choosing. We will send Joe Biden back to his basement and we will reverse the decline of this country. In Florida, we showed it could be done.
I made promises and I delivered on all of those promises. 2024 is make or break. We're not getting a mulligan. No excuses. I will get the job done and as your president, I will not let you down. God bless you all.
Source: Fox News 2023 Republican primary debate in Milwaukee
Aug 23, 2023
Page last updated: Sep 17, 2023