DeSantis expresses frustration with Republican border security failures at Iowa rally
DES MOINES, Iowa (FLV) – Among other campaign pledges, Gov. Ron DeSantis emphasized at an Iowa rally Tuesday night his promise to “finally” hand conservatives a win on the border security issue by shutting down the border and building a wall.
“As a Republican, I’m frustrated on things like the border because I’ve been listening to these politicians talk about securing the border for years and years and years,” the governor said.
“And I could tell you – if I’m President, this will finally be the time where we bring this issue to a conclusion,” he said.
DeSantis has been a supporter of former President Donald Trump’s border will since his time in Congress. He most recently said he would send Florida personnel to help build the wall, even under President Joe Biden’s administration.
“We will reestablish the sovereignty of this nation. We will declare a national emergency about the border. We’ll shut the border down,” DeSantis continued.
Even after Trump left office and finished his first term, much of the border remains unprotected by a physical barrier.
“We’ll actually construct a border wall. We will end mass migration and we will hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable for murdering American citizens,” he said.
DESANTIS: "I'm frustrated on things like the border, because I've been listening to these politicians talk about securing the border for years and years and years."
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) May 31, 2023
"And I could tell you if I'm President, this will finally be the time where we bring this issue to a conclusion." pic.twitter.com/bHL44yTHM0
On the border, DeSantis previously indicated he would declare a national emergency and mobilize the military to shut down and secure the border.
The governor continued his criticism of fellow Republicans, like Trump, who he decried as attacking him from the “left” on issues like Disney.
“Well, here I stand. I’m not backing down one inch. We run the state of Florida,” he said on the California-based entertainment giant. “They do not run the state of Florida.”
“I know all these Republicans are lining up against me to take the side of Disney,” he continued. “But I’ll tell you this: we stand for the protection of our children. We will fight those who seek to rob them of their innocence.”
“And on that point, there will be no compromise.”
Earlier in the speech, DeSantis threw shade on former President Donald Trump’s formerly scheduled, then canceled, rally in Iowa at a campaign speech in the state Tuesday evening.
“It is great to be back. Now, a few weeks ago, we were in state. We were not actually scheduled to come to the Des Moines area,” DeSantis said Tuesday night.
“But before we came back to Florida, the weather was so nice that we felt we just had to come back and pay everyone a little bit of a visit! Appreciated that,” he continued.
The governor’s speech also featured Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who had kind words for the governor’s policies in Florida, but not having issued any formal endorsement for 2024 yet.
During his speech, he touched on other issues like immigration, the border wall, Disney, and the economy.
He warned that if Democrats “sweep” in 2024, they may “pack” the Supreme Court, eliminate voter ID, allow ballot harvesting nationwide and establish Washington, D.C. as a state to guarantee two Democrat senators.
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis also joined the governor, and will continue traveling with him across early primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina through the week.
The governor faces an uphill battle, going up against months of poll numbers showing him down upwards of 30-to-40 points to Trump in national and some state primary polls.
His tour, dubbed the “Great American Comeback Tour,” extends through June 2.
“We are laser-focused on taking Governor DeSantis’ forward-thinking message for restoring America to every potential voter in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina,” campaign manager Generra Peck previously said. “Our campaign is committed to putting in the time to win these early nominating states. No one will work harder than Governor DeSantis to share his vision with the country — he has only begun to fight.”
