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Ron DeSantisBorn in 1978, Ronald Dion DeSantis is an American politician serving as the 46th governor of Florida, first elected in 2018 and now in his second term. He represented Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018. DeSantis joined the United States Navy in 2004 and was promoted to lieutenant before serving as a legal advisor to SEAL Team One. He was stationed at Joint Task Force Guantanamo in 2006, and was deployed to Iraq in 2007.
Campaign Website - rondesantis.com |
photo source: Campaign Website
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Military Assistance to Ukraine
DeSantis' position on the issue is unclear. He has been critical of how U.S. assistance has been provided thus far and calls for Europe to do more.
"Any suggestion by Zelensky or anyone else that we're going to eventually have US troops there, I can tell the American people when I'm president that will not happen. We are not going to send your sons and daughters to Ukraine.
…Now Biden wants $105 billion. 60, most of that's Ukraine including some of it going to pay pensions for bureaucrats and salaries. That is a totally ridiculous use of American tax dollars."
Response to Second Republican Presidential Debate, September 27, 2023
Question:“It is in our interest to the end this war, and that’s what I will do as president. We are not going to have a blank check. We will not have U.S. troops. We are going to make the Europeans do what they need to do.
- Experts say President Putin has ordered assassinations across Europe, cheated on arms control treaties with the U.S. and seeks to work with China to force our decline. President Reagan believed that if you want to prevent a war, you better be prepared to fight one. Today the Republican Party is at odds over aid to Ukraine. The price tag so far is $76 billion. But is it in our best interest to degrade Russia’s military for less than 5 percent of what we pay annually on defense, especially when there are no U.S. soldiers in the fight?
But they’ve sent money to pay bureaucrats’ pensions and salaries and funding small businesses halfway around the world. Meanwhile, our own country is being invaded. We don’t even have control of our own territory. We have got to defend the American people before we even worry about all these other things."
Arms to Israel
DeSantis' is in favor of military support to Israel. He is a staunch supporter of Israel and critical of Hamas.
"Ron DeSantis Stands With Israel" issue page - Campaign Website
He supports military aid to Israel to ensure they have everything they have requested and need to root out Hamas and defend their homeland.
"...They have a right to eliminate Hamas and win a total and complete victory so that they never have to deal with this again. Hamas wants nothing less than a second Holocaust, they would wipe off every single Jew off the map. They would destroy the state of Israel if we could. Joe Biden will say they support Israel and then they do nothing but try to kneecap them every step of the way. You should not try to direct their war effort, we should work together with them so that they can bring Hamas to heal.
... We stand with Israel, they’re our best ally in the Middle East, we have a unique relationship with them. And you will see a strong relationship when I’m the President of the United States."
"I would be telling BiBi finish the job once and for all with these butchers Hamas. They're terrorists, they're massacring innocent people, they would wipe every Jew off the globe if they could. He cannot live with that threat right by his country that Hamas should release every hostage and they should unconditionally surrender. I'm sick of hearing the media I'm sick of hear hearing other people blame Israel just for defending itself. We will stand with Israel in word and in deed, in public and in private."
Tweet on X (formerly Twitter), October 7, 2023
"The dastardly terrorist attacks perpetrated against innocent Israeli civilians by Iran-backed terror group Hamas deserve a swift and lethal response. Israel not only has the right to defend itself against these attacks, it has a duty to respond with overwhelming force. I stand with Israel. America must stand with Israel."
Arms to Saudi Arabia
Our research has not indicated a position on this topic.
Arms to Taiwan
DeSantis is in favor of arms sales and military assistance to Taiwan. His campaign calls for Taiwan to be "first in line" to purchase advanced U.S. weapons.
* Ensure Taiwan has training & capabilities to deter China's aggression and place them first in line for purchasing U.S. advanced weaponry, arms, and munitions
* Promote extensive interoperability with allies, including Taiwan, and more collaboration on defense tech standards, information sharing, joint training, and exercises to strengthen deterrence and operational effectiveness
Response to Fourth Republican Presidential Debate [01:33:55], December 7, 2023
Question: If China invades Taiwan, would you send American troops, as President Biden’s has said he would do?
"We will be able to deter that from happening. I think that’s the important thing, we need a strategy of denial so that we’re deterring Xi’s ambitions.
...It’s going to work. Taiwan’s an ally. We have longstanding American policy, and you know how that’s done, and we will follow that.
...China’s ambitions is the number one national security task that I will do as president and we will succeed. The 21st century needs to be an American century. We cannot let it be a Chinese century."
Military intervention across Mexican border
DeSantis is in favor of military intervention across the Mexican border. He indicates if Mexico does not act against cartels, he supports U.S. force across the border.
* DeSantis will authorize appropriate rules of engagement at the border so that those trying to smuggle drugs into the United States are met with the use of force. Right now, cartel operatives cut through portions of the border wall with impunity and poison our communities with dangerous drugs; that ends on January 20, 2025.
* And if the Mexican government drags its feet, DeSantis reserves the right to operate across the border to secure our territory from Mexican cartel activities. If the Mexican government won't stop cartel drug manufacturing, DeSantis will surge resources to the Navy and the Coast Guard and block precursor chemicals from entering Mexican ports.
Response to First Republican Presidential Debate, August 23, 2023
“Yes, and I will do it I’m 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? I am sick. I have met Angel Moms throughout this country. I met a lady in Texas named Tracy. And her son took one Percocet that was laced with fentanyl, immediately died. 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.”
Response to Second Republican Presidential Debate, September 27, 2023
"That is why — everything he said I agree with. That is why, as commander-in-chief, I’m going to use the U.S. military to go after the Mexican drug cartels.
They are killing our people. And the stories that I’ve seen, in Florida, we had an infant, 18 months, parents rented an Airbnb. And apparently the people that had rented before were using drugs. The infant was crawling — the toddler was crawling on the carpet and ingested fentanyl residue and died.
Are we just going to sit here and let this happen, this carnage happen in our country? I am not going to do that. So I guarantee you, on day one, this border is going to be a day one issue for me as president. We’re going to declare it a national emergency. Yes, we’ll build the wall. We’ll do “remain in Mexico.” But those Mexican drug cartels are going to be treated like the foreign terrorist organizations that they are."
Arms Trade Treaty
Our research has not indicated a position on this topic.