Ron DeSantis presidential campaign, 2024

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2024 Presidential Election
Date: November 5, 2024
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Our border is a disaster, crime infests our cities, the federal government makes it harder for families to make ends meet, and the president flounders. But decline is a choice, success is attainable, and freedom is worth fighting for. Righting the ship requires restoring sanity to our society, normalcy to our communities, and integrity to our institutions.[1]
—Ron DeSantis (May 2023)[2]



Ron DeSantis (R) is the governor of Florida. He has served in the position since 2019. DeSantis announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election on May 24, 2023.[3]

In his campaign announcement, DeSantis said he would reduce government spending and inflation, increase security at the U.S.-Mexico border, support funding for law enforcement, increase domestic energy production, reduce the authority of the administrative state, and "re-establish integrity in our institutions" by reducing focus on "matters not central to the mission, whether it's global warming or gender ideology and pronouns." DeSantis highlighted his record as governor of Florida, saying, "In Florida we proved it could be done. We chose facts over fear, education over indoctrination, law and order over rioting and disorder. We held the line."[4]

Before serving as governor, DeSantis represented Florida's 6th congressional district in the U.S. House from 2012 to 2018. Click here to read more about DeSantis' biography.

DeSantis in the news

See also: Editorial approach to story selection for presidential election news events

This section features up to five recent news stories about DeSantis and his presidential campaign. For a complete timeline of DeSantis' campaign activity, click here.


Biography

Born in Jacksonville, Fla., DeSantis grew up in Orlando and Dunedin, Fla.[9] Following graduation from Dunedin High School, he attended Yale University where he was captain of the baseball team. DeSantis graduated magna cum laude from Yale in 2001. He worked as a history teacher for a year before attending Harvard Law School, where he received a Juris Doctor cum laude in 2005.[10]

DeSantis served in the U.S. Navy from 2004 to 2010. He was a judge advocate general (JAG) officer advising a Navy SEAL commander in Iraq and working with detainees at Guantanamo Bay.[11][12][13] His military honors include the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal.[14]

DeSantis worked as a federal prosecutor before being elected in 2012 to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Florida's 6th Congressional District, a position he held until running for governor in 2018.[11][15] In 2015, DeSantis announced he would run for the Senate seat held by Marco Rubio (R). When Rubio announced he would seek re-election to the Senate, DeSantis ran for re-election in the House instead.[14]

DeSantis and his wife Casey, a former television host, have three children, Madison, Mason, and Mamie.[16]

Campaign finance

See also: Presidential election campaign finance, 2024

The following chart displays noteworthy Republican primary candidates' overall fundraising through the October 2023 quarterly campaign finance reports. Note that the chart displays fundraising figures for candidates who had declared before the most recent reporting deadline. It only displays data for principal campaign committees, not candidate-affiliated PACs. The charts below include campaign finance reports beginning at the point the FEC starts classifying the committee as a presidential candidate's principal campaign finance committee.

Receipts is a broad term referring to all money that goes into a campaign account, including contributions by individuals, dividends or interest on loans or investments made by the campaign, transfers of money from other political committees, and offsets to a campaign's expenditures in the form of rebates or refunds. Contributions reflect individual donations to a campaign. Disbursements is a term for campaign spending.

Primary debate participation

See also: Republican presidential primary debates, 2024

DeSantis participated in all four Republican presidential primary debates. See below for a summary of his highlights from the fourth and final Republican primary debate on December 6, 2023, with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from debate transcripts. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.

Ron DeSantis discussed his electability, the Israel-Hamas war, border security, inflation, immigration, Trump’s electability, transgender issues, election policy, Taiwan, healthcare, and vaccines. DeSantis said Republicans underperformed in the 2022 midterms, while he overperformed in his gubernatorial election. He said as Florida governor he has beaten the left. DeSantis said Israel has the right to eliminate Hamas, and the United States should not attempt to direct Israel’s war effort. DeSantis said the president has a right and responsibility to use military force at the southern border by categorizing cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. DeSantis said both parties contributed to high prices and high inflation. DeSantis said he would reduce government spending, open up domestic energy production, make universities back student loans, and increase vocational training to reduce inflation. DeSantis said he would ban immigrants whose cultures were hostile to America's. On Trump’s electability, DeSantis said Republicans should nominate a younger candidate who could serve two consecutive terms. DeSantis said Trump did not drain the swamp or build the wall, and that Trump deported fewer people than Barack Obama. DeSantis said he signed a bill to stop the gender mutilation of minors. DeSantis said he would deter China from invading Taiwan by opposing their commerce in the Indo-Pacific and their authority over Wall Street. DeSantis said he would support universal voter ID laws and oppose private spending on election administration, mail-in voting, and ballot harvesting. DeSantis said he would replace the Affordable Care Act with a policy that goes after the cost of healthcare, increases price transparency, and holds pharmaceutical companies, big insurance, and big government accountable. DeSantis said he opposes vaccine mandates and would clean house at the CDC, NIH, and FDA. DeSantis was the second-most active participant in the debate, speaking for 21.1 minutes.

Expand the sections below to read more about DeSantis' participation in previous Republican primary debates.


See also: Republican presidential primary debate (November 8, 2023)

DeSantis participated in the third Republican presidential primary debate on November 8, 2023. See below for a summary of his highlights with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from debate transcripts. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.

Ron DeSantis discussed Donald Trump, Republican electoral performance, the Israel-Hamas war, Iran, antisemitism, the Russia-Ukraine war, China, Venezuela, the economy, Social Security, opioids, and abortion. DeSantis said Trump increased the national debt and did not build the border wall or drain the swamp. DeSantis said the national Republican Party is weak, and Florida showed the party how to get the job done. DeSantis said Israel should eliminate Hamas, and that America should support Israel in defending itself. On Iran, DeSantis said America should not put troops in harm’s way unless it is prepared to fully defend them. DeSantis said he would have the Department of Justice investigate colleges for civil rights violations related to antisemitism, cancel visas for foreign students who make common cause with Hamas, and ban pro-Hamas groups from college campuses. DeSantis said he would not send troops to the Russia-Ukraine war. DeSantis said America needs to invest in its military to combat China. He said America must defend against Chinese economic and cultural influence in the United States. DeSantis said he would ban TikTok. DeSantis said America should not rely on Venezuela for oil. He said America should prioritize energy independence by reducing regulation and opposing Green New Deal policies. DeSantis said he would reduce inflation and federal spending to keep Social Security solvent. DeSantis said that to address opioids he would send the military to the southern border, tax foreign workers' remittances to fund a wall, and authorize deadly force against cartels. DeSantis said he believed in a culture of life and that the pro-life movement needs to work from the ground up to win at the state level. DeSantis was the fourth-most active participant in the debate, speaking for 16.3 minutes.

See also: Republican presidential primary debate (September 27, 2023)

DeSantis participated in the second Republican presidential primary debate on September 27, 2023. See below for a summary of his highlights with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from debate transcripts. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.

Ron DeSantis discussed the economy, China, border security, healthcare, education, foreign policy, abortion, and the 2022 midterms. DeSantis said people in Washington are shutting down the American dream and national sovereignty, and causing inflation. DeSantis criticized Trump and Biden for increasing the national debt. DeSantis called for a China policy involving deterrence, economic independence, and cultural independence. DeSantis said he would treat Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. DeSantis said high healthcare costs were a symptom of inflation, economic decline, and government overspending. DeSantis said Florida enacted universal school choice and a parents’ bill of rights, and eliminated critical race theory. DeSantis said he would not write a blank check for Ukraine or send U.S. troops to the conflict. DeSantis said pro-life policies did not cause midterm defeats for Republicans, and Republicans should hold Democrats accountable for their extremism on abortion. DeSantis said he delivered a red wave in Florida in 2022. DeSantis was the second-most active participant in the debate, speaking for 12.1 minutes.

See also: Republican presidential primary debate (August 23, 2023)

DeSantis participated in the first Republican presidential primary debate on August 23, 2023. See below for a summary of his highlights with a focus on policy. The following paraphrased statements were compiled from Fox News' debate transcript. A candidate's opponents are generally not mentioned in his or her summary unless there was a significant exchange between them.

Ron DeSantis discussed the economy, the coronavirus pandemic, abortion, crime, federal agencies, national security, border policy, and education. DeSantis said the country was in decline. He said the federal government locked down the economy in response to COVID-19, that this was a mistake, and that Florida led the country in ending lockdowns. DeSantis said he proudly signed a six-week abortion ban as governor, and that he would support life as president. DeSantis said Democratic local prosecutors increased crime by not doing their jobs, and said he removed two of them from office in Florida. DeSantis said he would end the weaponization of federal agencies. DeSantis said he would only increase funding for Ukraine if Europe did. He said our first obligation is to defend the U.S.-Mexico border. He said he would authorize lethal force at the border and treat cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. DeSantis said we need education in schools, not indoctrination. He said Florida removed Critical Race Theory and gender ideology from curriculums, and that as president he would increase the focus on civics. DeSantis was the fourth-most active participant in the debate, speaking for 10 minutes.


The following table provides an overview of the date, location, host, and number of participants in each scheduled 2024 Republican presidential primary debate.

2024 Republican presidential primary debates
Debate Date Location Host Number of participants
First Republican primary debate August 23, 2023 Milwaukee, Wisconsin[17] Fox News[18] 8
Second Republican primary debate September 27, 2023 Simi Valley, California[19] Fox Business, Univision 7
Third Republican primary debate November 8, 2023 Miami, Florida[20] NBC News, Salem Radio Network 5
Fourth Republican primary debate December 6, 2023 Tuscaloosa, Alabama[21] NewsNation, The Megyn Kelly Show, the Washington Free Beacon 4
On December 7, 2023, CNN reported the RNC would lift its ban on non-RNC sanctioned debates.[22]
Fifth Republican primary debate January 10, 2024 Des Moines, Iowa[22] CNN TBD
Sixth Republican primary debate January 18, 2024 Manchester, New Hampshire[23] ABC News, WMUR-TV, New Hampshire Republican State Committee TBD
Seventh Republican primary debate January 21, 2024 Goffstown, New Hampshire[22] CNN TBD

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Presidential election endorsements, 2024

The section below lists noteworthy endorsements for DeSantis in the Republican presidential primary. Noteworthy endorsers include current and former presidents and vice presidents, current and former party leaders, governors and other state executives, members of Congress, mayors of large cities, and state legislative majority and minority leaders.

Noteworthy endorsements for Ron DeSantis, 2024
Name State Party Date
Alabama Auditor Andrew Sorrell AL Republican Party April 3, 2023 source
Arizona State House Speaker Ben Toma AZ Republican Party May 10, 2023 source
U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee FL Republican Party April 18, 2023 source
Florida State Senate President Kathleen Passidomo FL Republican Party May 16, 2023 source
Florida State House Speaker Paul Renner FL Republican Party May 16, 2023 source
Florida Attorney General Ashley B. Moody FL Republican Party May 25, 2023 source
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez FL Republican Party May 24, 2023 source
U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick GA Republican Party May 23, 2023 source
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds IA Republican Party November 6, 2023 source
Iowa State Senate President Amy Sinclair IA Republican Party May 11, 2023 source
U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie KY Republican Party April 5, 2023 source
Michigan State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt MI Republican Party April 6, 2023 source
Nevada Controller Andy Matthews NV Republican Party July 24, 2023 source
Frmr. Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt NV Republican Party June 6, 2023 source
State Rep. James Spillane NH Republican Party June 2, 2023 source
Gov. Kevin Stitt OK Republican Party June 10, 2023 source
U.S. Rep. Chip Roy TX Republican Party March 15, 2023 source
Utah State Senate President Stuart Adams UT Republican Party July 21, 2023 source
U.S. Rep. Bob Good VA Republican Party May 9, 2023 source


Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements supporting this candidate and up to three campaign advertisements opposing this candidate, as well as links to other ads. If you know of additional links that should be included, please email us.

Support

December 29, 2023
December 18, 2023
December 5, 2023

Policy positions

The following policy positions were compiled from the candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and interviews.

Immigration

DeSantis campaign website said, "This epic failure to reclaim our sovereignty has caused harms that touch millions of Americans in their daily lives. Public safety has suffered. [...] Illegal immigration has also hollowed out the wages of the American working class. [...] Mass illegal immigration is also fundamentally unfair to immigrants who make their way to the United States legally." [source]

Energy and environmental issues

DeSantis' campaign website listed the following pillars of his energy plan, "Restore American Energy Dominance. Save the American Automobile. Elevate Evidence Over Ideology. Reform Environmental Permitting and End Green Lawfare. Jump-Start Critical Mineral and Federal Land Development. Build the Most Efficient, Affordable, and Reliable Energy Grid in the World." [source]

Trade

Economy

DeSantis' campaign website said, "Americans have been saddled with persistently high prices and weak economic growth. American families have seen their quality of life and economic security diminish while our national debt has exploded, and our country loses to Communist China. We need an economic policy that is focused on making the cost of living more affordable for working families. Our policies can no longer be driven by the ruling class. It's time to name names and defeat those people and institutions that have formed the root cause of this economic malaise. And a family-focused economy means having the courage to take on our enemies." [source]

Education

DeSantis' campaign website said, "DeSantis will support school choice nationwide, protect parental rights, reform accreditation, and steer funding towards programs and institutions that support the jobs of the future. Our students will learn how to read, write, do math, and think critically instead of learning to hate our country. DeSantis will educate artisans and engineers instead of politicized administrators and bureaucrats, seeking to accelerate students along these career paths as early as possible." [source]

Foreign policy

DeSantis' campaign website listed the following pillars of his foreign policy plan, "Seizing the Initiative, Recovering American Deterrence, Securing the Peace; Revamping National Economic Security to Beat China's Economic Coercion; Dominating the Technologies of Today and Tomorrow; Protecting the Homeland; Revitalizing U.S. Sovereignty and Countering China with Allies." [source]

Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)

DeSantis' campaign website said, "DeSantis will not tolerate woke corporations using ESG as an end-run around our constitutional system to impose heavy-handed, left-wing edicts through concentrated private power. There will be no ideological litmus test for getting a loan, establishing a bank account, or running a business." [source]

Opioids and drug issues

DeSantis' campaign website said, "I will wage war on narco-trafficking in Mexico and throughout Latin America. I will designate the Mexican drug cartels as Transnational Criminal Organizations, and I will sanction cartels, their leaders, and other entities that provide support for drug trafficking. I 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." [source]

Veterans

DeSantis’ campaign website listed the following policies, “Address root causes, facilitate timely access to care, and increase support for PTS, depression, and substance abuse. Expand benefits, educational training, and work opportunities to assist veterans in the transition to civilian life. Expand the VA FOX Grant program and ensure funding goes to state and local entities. Make the Executive Director of VA Suicide Prevention a politically appointed position that reports directly to the Secretary. Create a uniform veteran status verification tool for local counties and municipalities, ensuring better data on veteran suicide.” [source]

Other policy positions

Click on any of the following links to read more policy positions from the 2024 presidential candidates.

Abortion

Administrative state

Coronavirus response

Criminal justice

Economy

Education

Election policy

Energy and environmental issues

Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)

Federalism

Foreign policy

Government ethics

Gun regulation

Healthcare

Sex and gender issues

Immigration

Impeachment

Infrastructure

Opioids and drug issues

Trade

Veterans


Campaign themes

Website

DeSantis listed the following policy positions on his campaign website as of October 26, 2023.

Declaration of Economic Independence
America is in a state of decline -- militarily, culturally and economically.

People across our nation are collapsing under an economy that no longer works for the American family.

Americans have been saddled with persistently high prices and weak economic growth. American families have seen their quality of life and economic security diminish while our national debt has exploded, and our country loses to Communist China.

We need an economic policy that is focused on making the cost of living more affordable for working families.

Our policies can no longer be driven by the ruling class.

It's time to name names and defeat those people and institutions that have formed the root cause of this economic malaise. And a family-focused economy means having the courage to take on our enemies.

We are no longer going to Kow-Tow to Wall Street and big corporations who don't have your interests front and center.

We are no longer going to sell out to China at the expense of the American working family.

The American Dream is slipping away from our nation's middle class. Federal government policies -- COVID lockdowns, reckless borrowing, printing and spending -- have escalated the costs of life's essentials so much so that buying a home, purchasing a car, or starting a family is cost prohibitive; and for many, even affording groceries has become a matter of saving.

The bottom half of American households have less wealth today than in 1989 while the top 10% have added $29 trillion in wealth over the same period.

This trend accelerated in 2020 with Covid lockdowns and money-printing, crippling the market share of small business, diminishing the purchasing power of middle-class wages, and upending our workforce.

Over six million prime-age men are neither working nor looking for work. The labor force participation rate for this group fell from 98% in 1953 to 89% today.

Mass illegal immigration has undercut American jobs and wages, the rule of law, and our wider social fabric.

We have spent hundreds of billions propping up our broken university system, which charges exorbitant tuition and fees while producing substandard results, leaving students behind, often buried in debt and in weaker positions to start families.

Deaths of despair due to opioids, alcoholism, and suicide surged for Americans without a college degree -- with rates doubling between 2000 and 2017. Depression and anxiety have risen even higher in the wake of the pandemic lockdowns.

Over the last decade, Americans' life expectancy has fallen.

This is not normal.

Yet, entrenched Washington politicians in both parties refuse to change course.

Why would they? For those connected to the DC ruling class, life has never been better. Five of the eight wealthiest counties in the US are suburbs of Washington, DC.

Multinational corporations, especially in sectors such as tech, have seen a massive surge in wealth while selling our assets and outsourcing our industrial base to China.

Since 2020, our nation's growth has essentially been in 7 large technology companies like Apple and Google; the increase in market capitalization of these companies has exceeded the increase in our nominal GDP over the same period of time.

The elites that have orchestrated policies leading to our current state of malaise have failed.

Time and again, those entrenched in power have imposed policies on us that have proved short-sighted and counterproductive.

Nearly a quarter century ago, we were told that welcoming Communist China into the World Trade Organization and granting it 'most favored nation" trading status would lead to democratic reforms in China, would protect against forced transfers of technology, would not cause manufacturing to relocate to China, and would safeguard against surges of imports from China.

What actually happened?

China has grown more authoritarian, more powerful, and more ambitious.

The asymmetric relationship between the US and China that has developed is characterized by China's theft of our intellectual property, trade dumping, currency manipulation, and espionage.

America has seen its industrial base hollowed out, developed a dangerous dependence on Chinese supply chains, and witnessed the exposure of American companies to a hostile security apparatus.

The 2008 Wall Street bailout and associated policies have also proven to be costly for Americans. Boom and bust economic policies are deeply unfair to hard-working Americans, who are left holding the bag -- with nothing to show for it except higher prices for everyday essentials.

The rise of so-called quantitative easing (QE) as a mainstay of monetary policy has made the wealthy richer while neglecting the middle class.

Major corporations have secured massive carveouts and bailouts, a form of venture socialism in which gains are privatized and losses are born by taxpayers; and have avoided accountability for mismanagement.

"Too big to fail" for big institutions has led to "too difficult to succeed" for the middle class.

More recently, the elite's response to COVID-19 -- lockdowns, mandates, and massive borrowing and spending -- has proven disastrous.

In Florida, we led the charge to drag our nation out of lockdown, to protect freedom, to ensure the viability of small businesses, and to preserve the education of our youth.

We cut against the grain of elite opinion and faced massive blowback for bucking the system, but we stood our ground.

We fought for Floridians who were being ignored by the elites, whose livelihoods hung in the balance, and who didn't have a voice.

We were their voice. We were their fighter.

And the result is that Florida has never done better.

  • Florida's economy is ranked #1
  • Florida leads the nation in new business formations
  • Florida has led all large states in economic growth
  • We have paid off almost 25% of all state debt and have one of the lowest per capita debt ratios in America
  • Florida has gained more wealth over the past three years than any state has ever gained in US history
  • Florida ranks #1 in education
  • Crime rate is at a 50 year low

In Florida, we beat the elites -- and we have shown the way forward to restore American economic freedom and opportunity.

Just as we fought for the well-being of Floridians, we will take that same spirit to DC to fight for Americans across the nation.

Revitalizing economic freedom and opportunity today will require more than just tax cuts -- it will require building an economy where the concerns of average citizens are elevated above those deemed "too big to fail."

Our declaration of economic independence requires us to focus our agenda on rebuilding the American Dream for our middle class.

We will reshore, diversify and expand our economy, rewarding hard work and empowering our citizens to control their own destinies.

We will usher in a new era of strong growth, wide prosperity and civic pride.

We are a nation with an economy, not the other way around. We Americans are citizens of a republic, not cogs in the wheel of a global economy.

We will not tolerate technocratic management of American decline.

We do not seek to keep Americans dependent upon a fatter welfare check or a larger unemployment benefit.

We seek to reverse the decline and restore American greatness:

  • We want to be a country that makes things
  • We want to be a country where a family can raise children on a single income
  • We want to be a country that both inspires and demands loyalty from its elite
  • We want to be a country where young people feel they can develop the skills and values to build a decent life and contribute productively to their communities

We will declare our economic independence:

  • from the failed elites that have orchestrated American decline;
  • from the profligate federal spending that has inflated prices and plunged our nation to the brink of insolvency;
  • from the Chinese Communist Party that has run circles around us for a generation;
  • from central planners who seek to advance their political agendas at the expense of the standard of living for the average American;
  • from destructive policies like the Green New Deal that seek to hinder our domestic energy production;
  • from a class of progressive corporations looking out for every interest except for that of the American people.

The goal of our declaration of economic independence is simple: We win. They lose.

RON DESANTIS' DECLARATION OF ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

Taking Back Control of our Economy from China and Restoring our Economic Sovereignty

  • DeSantis will end our abusive relationship with the CCP, reverse our ever-increasing trade deficits, ban imports of goods made from stolen intellectual property, strengthen protections to stop child and forced labor, and end China's preferential trade status.
  • DeSantis will demand that American companies act in accordance with American interests --- which means preventing companies from sharing critical technologies with China and banning the sale of strategic assets like farmland to CCP members and their affiliates.
  • DeSantis will incentivize the repatriation of U.S. capital from China through strategic tax abatements and aligning market incentives with strategic goals to help secure our supply chains and invest in America.

Achieving 3% Growth by Incentivizing Investment, Eliminating Bureaucracy and Red Tape, and Keeping Taxes Low

  • DeSantis will advance an ambitious tax and regulatory reform agenda to unleash American production, increase productivity and growth, and support our families, workers, and small businesses while lowering inflation.
  • DeSantis will reverse Biden's job-crippling and ideological regulations and executive orders on Day One.
  • DeSantis will eliminate the fourth branch of government. The days of attempting to regulate the American economy into oblivion by ideological extremism will be done.
  • DeSantis will work to not only extend the individual tax rates and further simplify the tax code, but also seek permanence.
  • DeSantis will seek a more competitive tax system that incentivizes long-term, domestic investment over financial speculation and short-term returns while purging the code of K Street carveouts and loopholes.
  • DeSantis will seek to make permanent full immediate expensing, maintain territoriality, and further strengthen base erosion measures to ensure corporations are investing in America.
  • DeSantis will use all available Article II authority to restore accountability in the executive branch, move agencies out of DC and slash the bureaucratic state, restrict foreign lobbying and post-employment revolving doors by former government officials, and ban individual stock trading by members of Congress and executive branch officials.

Unleashing American Energy Independence

  • DeSantis will unleash our domestic energy sector, modernize and protect our grid, and advance American energy independence. This will not only increase our economic and national security while reducing inflation, it will also help fuel a manufacturing renaissance that will create jobs, revitalize our communities, and improve our standard of living. We can no longer afford to tie one arm behind our economy's back by prioritizing the left's ideological agenda, crushing regulations, and endless permitting requirements.
  • DeSantis will reverse the federal government's attempt to force people to buy electric vehicles. We will save the American automobile.

Ending Environmental, Social, and Governance Standards and Political Engineering by Large Investors

  • DeSantis will not tolerate woke corporations using ESG as an end-run around our constitutional system to impose heavy-handed, left-wing edicts through concentrated private power. There will be no ideological litmus test for getting a loan, establishing a bank account, or running a business.
  • DeSantis will strengthen rules governing fiduciary responsibilities, transparency requirements, and scrutiny of firms that manage public pension funds.

Restoring Merit and Respect for the Individual as the Central Criteria for Economic Advancement

  • DeSantis will instruct the DOJ Civil Rights Division and relevant agencies to root out discrimination under the false guises of diversity, equity, and inclusion. "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" programs are racist, discriminatory, and obscure the fundamental truth that all men are created equal.

Reforming our Education System and Lowering Barriers to Entry for Working Class Americans

  • DeSantis will support school choice nationwide, protect parental rights, reform accreditation, and steer funding towards programs and institutions that support the jobs of the future. Our students will learn how to read, write, do math, and think critically instead of learning to hate our country. DeSantis will educate artisans and engineers instead of politicized administrators and bureaucrats, seeking to accelerate students along these career paths as early as possible.
  • DeSantis will work with the private sector to accelerate and develop vocational and apprenticeship programs in anticipation of our great industrial revival, with a goal to become #1 in the world for skilled trades by 2030.
  • DeSantis will no longer incentivize useless degrees and courses with blanket government loans. To that end, he will make universities, not taxpayers, responsible for the loans their students accrue. He will also seek to allow student loans to be discharged through bankruptcy like any other loan.

Creating a Fair Labor Market by Securing the Border and Enforcing our Laws

  • DeSantis will create a fair labor market by securing the border, enforcing our laws, eliminating chain migration and the diversity visa lottery, and limiting unskilled immigration.
  • DeSantis will make it a top priority of his administration to destroy the fentanyl market in America.
  • The American immigration system will serve Americans --- not multinational corporate elites.

Reining in the Federal Reserve

  • DeSantis will appoint a Chairman of the Federal Reserve who will focus on maintaining a stable dollar instead of the political pressures of the day. The Fed must focus on stable prices; it is not a social engineer and cannot be allowed to be an unaccountable economic central planner.
  • DeSantis will ensure that the Federal Reserve does not implement a central bank digital currency to control the finances of hardworking Americans. DeSantis will block any attempts to establish a Central Bank Digital Currency or any other policies that will move us closer to a social credit system.
  • Where Washington has sought to regulate and inhibit innovation such as Bitcoin and other new technologies, DeSantis will protect entrepreneurship from central planners who seek to stifle what they cannot control.

Opposing Bailouts and Holding Bad Economic Actors Responsible

  • DeSantis will require "clear language" disclosures by banks and shadow banks to increase transparency and better track systemic risks.
  • DeSantis will support community and regional banks that bolster the economic front lines of main street America
  • DeSantis will protect cryptocurrencies and work to end politically driven debanking and financial doxing.
  • In the event of an existential economic crisis, DeSantis will seek to strip those accountable of all golden parachutes and prevent the further accumulation of wealth to those already deemed too big to fail.

Fighting Reckless and Wasteful Federal Spending

  • DeSantis will be a new sheriff in town when it comes to spending, and he will not be afraid of using his veto pen. Our government programs as they exist today are wrought with waste, fraud, and abuse, and continue to be a major drag on our economy, our budget, and the flourishing of our citizens.
  • DeSantis use his Article II authority to prohibit federal grants to entities that engage in active discrimination through DEI or other unconstitutional initiatives. He will no longer allow hardworking families and taxpayers to have their tax dollars flow to organizations that seek to undermine their values and beliefs.
  • DeSantis will also mandate work requirements for welfare programs.

MISSION FIRST

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I felt a calling to volunteer and to serve our country in uniform. I passed on more lucrative financial opportunities because I believed I should do my part while our nation was engaged in conflict. I ended up joining the Navy, earning a commission as a JAG Officer, and deploying to Iraq as a senior legal advisor to Navy SEAL Team One in places such as Fallujah, Ramadi, and the rest of Al Anbar province.

When you wear the cloth of your country, serving alongside fellow patriots, when you're pursuing a mission greater than your personal self-interest, there's value to that money can't buy. It's something that I, like many veterans, take real pride in.

More than any time in my life, veterans are questioning whether they'd want their children or grandchildren to join today's military because they see the military losing its focus. But it's not merely sad---it's dangerous, too.

Recruiting is suffering. 2022 was the worst year for recruiting in the history of the all-volunteer force, and every military service is missing their recruiting goals---some by as much as 50%. This, while our ammunition stocks are being depleted, and while China is rising as an increasingly powerful adversary.

We cannot tolerate political agendas in our military. We cannot allow military and civilian leaders to use our armed forces for social experimentation or to advance woke ideology.

We must restore our military to its proper function. The military's mission is to defend America. Any distraction from our military's mission will be eliminated under my administration. My mission will be building and maintaining a military whose focus is to deter wars while having the capability and lethality to fight wars and overwhelmingly win them if necessary. We will revive a culture that makes service members proud to serve and attracts Americans to enlist.

We need to have a military that is lethal, ready and capable. Every policy in the military, every personnel decision in the military, and every funding decision in the military needs to be aimed towards that. Our military needs to be focused on one thing: Mission First.

BREAKING THE DEI SWAMP
Just like the university bureaucracies, the Department of Defense has been accumulating, like barnacles, a diversity bureaucracy that sucks in vast amounts of taxpayer money while not doing anything to help the military improve its readiness, capability, or lethality. In fact, by distracting service members from those things, it is actively weakening the military's ability to perform its core functions.

We are going to rip the DEI bureaucracy out of the Department of Defense. Here's how: when it comes to employees in "diversity and inclusion" positions, we're going to fire who we can and reassign whoever we can't. We are going to eliminate every senior administrative DEI position at the Pentagon. Every permanent employee in a "diversity and inclusion" position will be reassigned.

We're also going to make sure that the service academies are just as aligned with the mission as the rest of the military. Right now, that focus isn't there. Soldiers at the academies have reported being forced to take part in "privilege walks," where they had to separate themselves by race and gender and acknowledge their "racial privilege." Others said that members were encouraged to report their fellow members who voiced the belief that "All Lives Matter." At the Naval Academy, professors were recommending that midshipmen read Ibram X. Kendi's How to be an Antiracist, which explicitly prescribes overt racial discrimination as a solution to racism.

None of this helps develop the next generation of competent military leaders. As president, I will require that service academies teach disciplines that are directly connected to military needs. Our future young officers should be learning about military history, leadership, and nuclear engineering---not white privilege, systemic racism, and unconscious bias. Remember---attendees at the service academies have their tuition paid for by the taxpayer. We have the right to insist that the available academic disciplines help make our military more capable, ready, and lethal.

RIP POLITICAL AGENDAS OUT OF OUR MILIITARY
Joe Biden issued an executive order to allow individuals with gender dysphoria to serve in the military. This executive order was a mistake, and under my administration we are going to revoke it.

We're going to bar the Department of Defense's health insurer, Tricare, from covering puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and sex change surgeries.

The military is going to stop being focused on woke gender nonsense, and it is going to go back to being focused on readiness, capability, and lethality.

REINSTATING UNVACCINATED SERVICEMEMBERS
Our military has driven off some of its best warriors with vaccine mandates. These were particularly absurd when applied to our brave special operators. Think about it: they were telling Navy SEALs in peak fitness---who had already contracted COVID and had natural immunity---that they had to get a novel and unnecessary vaccine. Is it any surprise that a lot of our proud, brave, competent special operators decided to leave the service, given this disrespect?

But more than that, think of all the training that these special operators go through to be able to execute the most dangerous missions that our military has to offer. When I was supporting a SEAL team as a JAG in Iraq, I was truly in awe of their skill and bravery. Special operators don't just grow on trees, and if our military is going to stay capable, ready, and lethal, we need to reverse this terrible policy that drove so many good soldiers away.

As governor, I signed legislation banning the use of COVID-19 vaccine mandates in Florida. When I'm President, we are going to ban COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the military, and we're going to allow troops who were kicked out for refusing the vaccine to be reinstated to their prior rank and with back pay.

ELIMINATE RACIAL PREFRENCING IN THE MILITARY
If our military is to be focused on being capable, ready, and lethal, we need to have a single physical standard for our combat troops. Not everyone can be a NAVY Seal. The point of having high physical standards for combat units is to ensure they can execute their missions; when standards drop, high-risk missions become riskier.

Women should be able to serve in units where they meet the relevant physical standards---but there should be no reduction in standards just to ensure that every unit has the "right" amount of each gender.

As President, I will require all military services to impose gender neutral physical qualification standards. I will ban race and gender quotas in military recruiting and promotions and mandate that all personnel decisions be based on merit. And I will ensure that any commander suspected of using racial or gender preferences in promotions is investigated.

It's not healthy for society when people are discriminated against based on their race or sex. But in the military, it's not just unethical, it's dangerous.

ACCOUNTABILITY FOR TALKING HEAD GENERALS
One thing that is certainly not helping the military's reputation among normal Americans is the spectacle of retired military and intelligence officials using their stature and their clearances to further a political agenda. There is no better example of this than when 51 such former officials signed an open letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop "had all the hallmarks of Russian disinformation." We now know that was disinformation itself, and yet there has been no accountability for the officials who spread such nonsense.

To fix this problem, we're going to stop issuing security clearances to retired military officials. They can have their tv hits, they just shouldn't get to pretend that they are the bearers of some secret classified knowledge when they do so.

We're also not going to tolerate any top-level officials lying under oath. When people like James Clapper brazenly lie to Congress and face no consequences, it diminishes our country. That hurts recruiting. If any officials lie under oath in my administration, I will fire them.

Our generals must be held to a higher standard than the rank-and-file. They are responsible for setting the tone for the entire military, and they are the public face of the entire military. When they act in a cravenly partisan fashion, they debase the entire institution. This isn't just a matter of national honor; it's a matter of national security. If people do not respect our military, they will not sign up for our military, and the recruitment crisis will get worse and worse. Our military cannot be capable, ready, and lethal if it can't even find people willing to serve.

TURNING THE TIDE
The military is broken, but we can fix it. If we can break the DEI swamp, end pronoun distractions, eliminate affirmative action, reinstate unvaccinated service members, and hold talking head generals accountable, we can do a lot improve the functioning of the military and change the way that the military is viewed by the general public.

But as President, I won't rest on my laurels when it comes to recruiting. I'll use the bully pulpit to engage Americans on the power and meaning of military service. I know how much it meant to me and my life; I will work tirelessly to persuade young people that it's worth wearing the uniform. I'll expand JROTC programs and civics programs in secondary schools, and work with the Department of Defense to understand what other issues might be hurting recruitment.

Because at the end of the day, this isn't about a culture war. It's about deterring a real war. The world is a dangerous place, and if we want peace, we must be strong. We will make our military capable, ready, and lethal, and we will keep Americans safe.

Rip Political Agendas Out of Our Military

  • Eliminate "Diverse-aucrats" (Diversity Bureaucrats)
    • Get rid of Diversity and Inclusion administrators for each military department and end all DEI hirings.
    • End Military Departmental task forces, working groups, advisory boards, and other panels that focus on DEI. (For example, Task Force One Navy, Army Project Inclusion, and DOD Racial Disparity Reviews)
    • Task and hold accountable a Secretary of Defense who will elevate and consider generals, upper tiers of Pentagon flag officers, and military civilian leadership whose focus will be on lethality, readiness, and capabilities.
  • End Woke Operating Policies
    • End drag shows on military bases.  
    • Prohibit the Department of Defense from conducting business with advertising with left-wing firms that blacklist conservative news sources.
    • Revoke Executive Order 14004, which allows transgender personnel to serve in the military in their preferred sex and provides taxpayer funds for sex change hormones and surgeries, which cause issues with readiness.
    • Close the "Defense Equity Team," and the "Defense Advisory Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion."
    • Prohibit Department of Defense contracts to Federally Funded Research and Development Corporations related to DEI until their policy changes.
    • Reform the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness to focus on the critical challenges facing the military such as recruiting, retention, and healthcare.
  • Ban Woke Indoctrination
    • Defund and prohibit any courses associated with Critical Race Theory at service academies.
    • Require that fields of study at service academies be in fields traceable to military needs such as military history, leadership, nuclear engineering, personnel management, or software development. Because the U.S. taxpayer is fully underwriting the cost of this education, the list of available academic disciplines should be narrowly focused on the needs of the Department of Defense.
    • Prohibit the instruction or propagation of theories such as Critical Race Theory (CRT) as part of military training.
    • No government building should raise any flag except the U.S. and military flags (except flags from foreign countries for official events, POW/MIA flag).
    • Ban woke recruitment content and the use of military social media accounts for activist content. Stop social media accounts of military accounts from posting on topics or issues that are not within their mission or are not recruitment messages.
    • Study the role of social media on military servicemen and Department of Defense civilian workforce.
    • Expand school choice and parental rights for families with children in Department of Defense schools.
    • Establish a "Merit, Fairness, and Equality (MFE) Task Force" to review the curriculums of the service academies and training in the military.
    • The entire Professional Military Education (PME) system produces substandard quality education. A critical first 100-days priority must be repealing the accreditation requirement for PME programs and to launch an immediate study to reforge all schools into competitive, rigorous, focused schools of operational and strategic excellence. Warfighting and lethality must be the overriding ethos of Professional Military Education and only the best should be allowed to graduate.
  • Focus Veteran Benefits on Supporting Veterans, Not a Social Agenda
    • End equity plans that prioritize certain veterans for benefits over others based on their race.

Restore Military Standards

  • Recognize Differences Between Men and Women. Eliminate Racial Preferences in the Military. One Standard of Readiness.
    • Require all military services to have physical qualifications according to gender neutral standards.
    • Require statistical data transparency for performance and end any equity initiatives related to standards and readiness.
    • Ban race and gender quotas in military recruiting and promotions and mandate personnel decisions including accession, assignment, selection, and promotion based on merit.
    • Establish Department of Defense service standards based on readiness. Select the best applicants regardless of identity categories, rather than engaging in racial preferencing policies.
    • Oppose any efforts to draft our daughters.
    • Investigate any commander suspected of using racial or gender preferences in promotions.
  • Reinstate Un-Vaccinated Servicemen
    • Disallow the Pentagon from punishing troops based solely on their Covid-19 vaccination status, and allow troops who were kicked out for refusing the vaccine to reenter service with a changed reason for discharge and reinstatement to their prior rank from before they received punishment for their Covid-19 vaccination status.
    • Back pay active-duty members basic pay rates for time they missed as a result of punishment (discharged, separated, retired, or reassigned) for not receiving the Covid-19 vaccination.
  • Prioritizing Lethality, Readiness, and Capabilities, Not Ideology and Climate Change
    • The Department of Defense should never prioritize climate politics over national security and any environmental projects should require a cost--benefit analysis that prioritizes national security needs.
    • End activist climate change programs and focus on national security needs at-large.
    • End the requirement for Department of Defense contractors to track and slow their greenhouse gas emissions at the cost of readiness.
    • Stop EV funding that was initiated because of climate change activism rather than military readiness.
    • Stop funding programs for environmental justice.
  • Stop the Weaponization of Tools Intended to Root Out Legitimate Threats to Good Order and Discipline
    • Maintain a proper enforcement of a Uniform Code of Military Justice and end the costly Biden Administration's Department of Defense Countering Extremism Working Group.

Break the Swamp & Promote Accountability

  • Enforce Article 88 (Contempt Toward Officials) of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice which courts have found applies to retired generals and admirals. Any service member may be prosecuted for "contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Security, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present."
  • Cease issuing security clearances to retired Department of Defense senior leadership that go on network and cable news shows and who, as paid analysts, monetize and politicize their access to so-called "inside information." This should include removing security clearances from the 51 individuals who signed on to the Hunter Biden laptop "disinformation" letter in October 2020.
  • Institute a cooling off period for Pentagon top officials both before and after their tenure from serving as military contractor board members and lobbyists. These officials are leveraging their Pentagon and security positions before and after they serve as civilians. 
  • Issue an executive order to fire immediately any high-ranking military or intelligence official who knowingly lies under oath to a federal official or Congress. No longer will there be zero consequences and lack of accountability.
  • Fire immediately any joint chiefs officer who contacts an enemy counterpart without the knowledge of the president and overrides the authority of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 
  • Within 6 months, the performance of all personnel in 4-star command and staff billets will be reviewed. Anyone determined to have promoted policies to the detriment of readiness and warfighting will be asked to resign or otherwise be removed from those positions. Similar reviews will be conducted over a longer time horizon for 3-star command and equivalent civilian SES positions.

Turn the Tide Against Biden's Military Recruitment Crisis 

  • Restore National Pride in Our Military
    • Use the "Bully Pulpit" to engage all Americans on the power and meaning of its all-volunteer fighting force and a meaningful, purpose-driven military force that will have the resources, backing of their Commander-in-Chief, and the American people to defend the Constitution and the United States.
    • Develop a program for schools to teach that our military is and has been a force for justice and good in the world.
    • Order the Department of Defense to collaborate with external organizations to encourage open expression of honest views on perceptions and morale from potential recruits, voluntary military departures, and current personnel. Special focus will be given to addressing the perception of politicization within the military. Currently, there is a significant lack of available data in this regard, and the existing data is exclusively controlled by the executive branch. To rectify this, a public disclosure of the problem's nature is necessary, allowing my administration to identify and correct any mistakes. This transparency will play a vital role in rebuilding trust and confidence among servicemembers, their families, and the broader American public.
  • Expand Recruitment Programming
    • Expand JROTC programs and civics programs in secondary schools.
    • Work with the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition to promote military recruitment.
    • Allow military families to request the creation of educational savings accounts for their children.

STOP THE INVASION
BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS
Joe Biden has failed to meet the most basic responsibility of ensuring the territorial integrity of our country.

Biden's gross dereliction of duty has left the southern border in shambles.

Millions of illegal aliens have entered the United States during Biden's administration, including criminal aliens and individuals suspected by the U.S. government of terrorism, which has overwhelmed communities across the nation.

Thanks to Biden, border patrol lacks the needed resources, manpower and policy support to do the job the way rank-and-file agents desire.

Vast expanses of the border have no barrier at all, as the needed border wall is far short of completion.

The Mexican drug cartels have capitalized on Biden's failure by trafficking humans and drugs across the border at record levels. The drugs that infiltrated our country have devastated communities from coast to coast: fentanyl trafficked across the southern border is now the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50.

This epic failure to reclaim our sovereignty has caused harms that touch millions of Americans in their daily lives.

Public safety has suffered. El Paso, TX used to be a quiet, orderly town, yet they recently had to suspend their streetcar service because there were some 1,800 illegal aliens sleeping on the sidewalk. And it's not just El Paso---every border town is under assault: sidewalks filled with illegals from around the world, emergency rooms overflowing, ranches and homes overrun, and public safety shredded because Joe Biden has refused to meet his most basic responsibility of upholding American sovereignty.

Illegal immigration has also hollowed out the wages of the American working class. As the economy has grown over the past few decades the wages of the working class have remained stagnant on an inflation-adjusted basis. That should not be a surprise given how American workers are consistently undercut by cheaper illegal labor.

Mass illegal immigration is also fundamentally unfair to immigrants who make their way to the United States legally. Some wait a decade in line for their turn to immigrate. Our system spits in the faces of those who respect our laws by allowing illegal aliens to break those laws with functional impunity.

The Biden Administration is the critical link in an illegal transnational human smuggling syndicate. Through their soft policies and softer public statements, they have made clear to potential migrants that the door to the United States is open, so long as you are willing to make a harrowing and dangerous journey in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. It is no surprise that children are being brought unaccompanied across the border in the hands of gangsters; rather, it is an entirely predictable consequence of Joe Biden’s policies.

His unwillingness to stand up to his party and secure the border makes him an accessory to every act of violence committed by the cartels against migrant children.

And we have seen plenty of them. Last year, I asked the Florida Supreme Court for permission to empanel a grand jury to investigate reports of children being abused on their journey to the United States and after they arrived. The Supreme Court agreed, and the Florida Attorney General, Ashley Moody, has uncovered some horrifying stories.

For just one example: One Honduran mother of four agreed to “rent” three of her four children, ages six months to twelve years, to three different Honduran men so they could pass through the Texas border as families. This mother, in exchange, was to receive free passage for herself and all four kids. All these men had previously been deported—but they knew that if they tried again accompanied by a child, the Border Patrol would let them pass, even though they were deportable. This led to a six-month-old infant being left with a family of strangers in Florida for months.

Make no mistake: Joe Biden’s administration has made the most inhumane policy choice possible on the border. Dangling jobs to migrants as a reward here in the United States, so long as they are willing to bring an unrelated minor child along with them, should be something out of a dystopian novel. But it’s happening right here, right now, and it’s time for us to stop it.

NO EXCUSES
As president I will put an end to this moral and humanitarian catastrophe by shutting down illegal entries and building the wall, once and for all. There are more than 600 miles of the US-Mexico border without an effective barrier to illegal crossings: I will use every ounce of my executive power and political capital to get the wall built.

We know how to get infrastructure built quickly and cut through red tape. After Hurricane Ian, Pine Island in Florida was completely cut off from the mainland. I ordered the Florida Department of Transportation to assist, and within 24 hours, we had more than 130 trucks rolling in and crews got to work. We didn’t just get it done—we got it done in three days, and emergency personnel were able to get on the island and start rebuilding. If needed, I’ll happily send those same crews to the southern border to get the wall built.

We will end catch-and-release and ensure that migrants are held in detention while they are awaiting the resolution of their claims, and not just released into the interior of the country. We will reimpose Remain in Mexico and stop the flood of phony asylum claims. We will hire more Border Patrol agents and more removal agents to make sure that even if illegal immigrants cross, they will swiftly be found and deported.

We will take action to end the idea that the children of illegal aliens are entitled to birthright citizenship if they are born in the United States. Dangling the prize of citizenship to the future offspring of illegal immigrants is a major driver of illegal migration. It is also inconsistent with the original understanding of 14th Amendment, and we will force the courts and Congress to finally address this failed policy.

We will work aggressively to increase pay for Border Patrol agents, to address recruitment, retention, and morale. Border Patrol agents work tirelessly to protect this country, and they have been repeatedly disrespected by the Biden Administration. That will stop on day one of my Presidency.

When we build the wall, migrants won’t think they can cross. When we hire more Border Patrol agents, we’ll stop those who try. When we step up deportations, migrants won’t think they can stay here, even if they somehow managed to cross.

Also, many migrants don’t start their journey in Mexico—caravans of South American migrants routinely come north, starting by crossing the Panama-Colombia border near the Panama Canal. We will work with the Panamanian and Colombian governments to shut down crossings across this border and stop the caravans before they get started.

FIGHTING THE CARTELS
Joe Biden has ceded operational control of the border to the Mexican drug cartels, and we see the results all around us. Tens of thousands of our fellow citizens die from fentanyl overdoses each year. The cartels cross the border and murder American citizens. They wage military battles with the Mexican Army. They assassinate Mexican politicians and law enforcement officials.

This has to stop.

I will wage war on narco-trafficking in Mexico and throughout Latin America. I will designate the Mexican drug cartels as Transnational Criminal Organizations, and I will sanction cartels, their leaders, and other entities that provide support for drug trafficking.

I 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.

We will also engage in additional direct action as needed to counter cartel activities. And if the Mexican Government doesn’t do something about stopping the precursor chemicals for drugs going through Mexican ports into cartel hands, we’ll send in the Coast Guard and the Navy.

THE FLORIDA BLUEPRINT
The time for empty promises is over. Elites from both parties have done plenty of talking about border security, but our border is as open as ever. I have a record as Governor of taking swift and bold action when it comes to immigration, and I will do the same as President.

Florida is a maritime border state: illegal migrants regularly try to reach our shores by sea. During my term as Governor, we saw illegal migrants trying to cross in tiny, unsafe dinghies. Now, for the most part, this is the responsibility of the federal Coast Guard. Even so, I signed an executive order to surge state resources and help the Coast Guard interdict these boats. The result was a massive decrease in successful maritime crossings and repatriation of tens of thousands of foreign nationals—and a large decrease in attempts. The lesson? When illegal aliens think they will get caught, they do not come.

We also realize that so long as the White House is occupied by a man who couldn’t care less about border security, like-minded state governors and law enforcement officials will have to step into the breach. That’s why I formed an interstate law-enforcement partnership to bring Florida’s successful anti-illegal immigration policies and practices to more American communities. As president, I will set up a Joint Counter-Cartel Task Force to direct and prioritize anti-cartel efforts by our law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

I haven’t just taken executive action to confront the problem of mass illegal migration. During my time as Governor, I have signed landmark legislation to combat illegal immigration. We have banned sanctuary cities, required a legal workforce by enacting E-Verify, enhanced penalties for human smuggling, and barred drivers licenses and ID cards for illegal aliens.

We’ve also dedicated resources to relocate migrants to sanctuary jurisdictions, such as Martha’s Vineyard and California, relieving overrun border communities and bringing the reality of the border crisis to those who support Biden’s open border policies. Until we have a closed border, the jurisdictions who support open borders should bear the consequences of their policy preferences.

We’ve made fighting the effects of illegal immigration a top priority in the State of Florida. As President, I will take that focus and energy and use it to fix our border crisis, once and for all.

NO EXCUSES: STOP THE INVASION As president, Ron DeSantis will secure operational control of our border. 

  • DeSantis will end catch-and-release. If you cross illegally, you will be detained until your hearing date.
  • DeSantis will reimpose Remain in Mexico. If you arrive at a port of entry on the US-Mexico border claiming asylum, you will not enter the United States while your claim is being processed.
  • DeSantis will increase Border Patrol pay to boost recruiting and ensure the Border Patrol has the necessary staffing to stop crossings.  
  • DeSantis will have DHS conduct a recruitment campaign targeting former military members and police officers for positions at CBP and ICE.
  • DeSantis will take action to end the idea that the children of illegal aliens are entitled to birthright citizenship if they are born in the United States. Dangling the prize of citizenship to the future offspring of illegal immigrants is a major driver of illegal migration. It is also inconsistent with the original understanding of 14th Amendment, and DeSantis will force the courts and Congress to finally address this failed policy.
  • DeSantis will close the Flores loophole that incentivizes child trafficking.
  • DeSantis will tax remittances from illegal aliens, with exemptions for U.S. citizens and lawfully present foreign nationals, and penalize countries attempting evasion.
  • DeSantis will end the use of Notices to Report and any government funding for non-citizen travel.
  • He will end the abuse of prosecutorial discretion and parole authority in immigration-related cases and deport criminal aliens.
  • DeSantis will work with Congress and through further executive actions to strengthen and enforce E-Verify.
  • DeSantis will defund and prosecute entities that aid or conspire to violate U.S. immigration laws.
  • He will seek changes from Congress to strengthen penalties for human trafficking, smuggling, and reoccurring illegal reentry.
  • DeSantis will deport visa overstays.
  • He will allow ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers to do their jobs and focus on illegal alien entries under Biden's border crisis and those with criminal records.
  • DeSantis will cease funding the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations engaged in facilitating illegal alien processing, human smuggling, and encouraging mass migration on behalf of the Biden administration while seeking to reprogram that money for ICE operations.
  • DeSantis will direct the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to reinstate Asylum Cooperative Agreements with Northern Triangle Countries immediately.
  • He will seek changes to give immigration judges summary disposition authority and require DOJ to greatly narrow conditions for continuance, motions, and administrative appeals.
  • DeSantis will sanction and restrict visas of countries who do not accept deportees.
  • DeSantis will work with Panama to close the Darien Gap to prevent future caravans from South American and prevent Chinese control of the Panama Canal.
  • He will establish priorities under the Development Finance Corporation to seek areas of opportunity with returned workforces in Central and South America for supply chain nearshoring and cooperative agreements to end migration patterns.
  • DeSantis will also seek additional resources for CBP personnel and technology on America's northern border.

NO EXCUSES: BUILD THE WALL
As president, Ron DeSantis will build the wall. No excuses.

  • DeSantis will use the military to assist the border patrol on day one, and they will continue to help until the wall is built.
  • There are 600 miles open along the US-Mexico border. He will use every dollar available to him as President and every dollar he can squeeze out of Congress to get it done.
  • This will additionally include needed fiber optic security systems, lighting, and sensors for the system that CBP agents need to do their jobs.
  • DeSantis will order the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear Carrizo cane and build navigable roads along the Rio Grande for CBP border security operations.
  • The left tries to make fun of a border wall, but walls work. Israel built a 152-mile-long fence along its border with Egypt. Once completed, illegal crossings dropped by more than 99% year-over-year.   

NO EXCUSES: HOLD CARTELS ACCOUNTABLE
As president, Ron DeSantis will hold the Mexican drug cartels accountable.

  • DeSantis will declare the Mexican drug cartels to be Transnational Criminal Organizations. He will authorize sanctions on cartels, cartel leaders, and other entities known to do business with the cartels. And we will strengthen penalties for those who traffic in fentanyl, as well as those American citizens who work with the cartels. 
  • DeSantis will set up a Joint Counter-Cartel Task Force to direct and prioritize anti-cartel intelligence gathering and actions by our law enforcement and intelligence agencies. 
  • DeSantis will convene the Organization of American States to announce new diplomatic, economic, and security initiatives to deter violent cartel activity.
  • 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. 

NO EXCUSES: WORK WITH STATES TO ENFORCE THE LAW
As president, DeSantis will stop DOJ from suing states when they enforce immigration laws.

  • DeSantis will instead uphold their Article I authority to defend their state against invasion.
  • DeSantis will impose firm penalties on sanctuary jurisdictions. If these lawless jurisdictions try to thwart federal immigration law, DeSantis will cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to them.
  • DeSantis will seek funding to reimburse states who have been forced by Biden's border crisis to take the direct costs on the chin.
  • DeSantis will remove illegal aliens from census apportionment calculations.

Ron DeSantis Stands With Israel
Ron DeSantis Actions to Support Israel and the Jewish People 
In response to Iran-backed Hamas’ heinous attack on Israel, Ron DeSantis has expressed unequivocal support for Israel and the Jewish people and has taken strong actions to stand by their side. While others just talk about what should be done during tough times like this, DeSantis steps up to the plate and actually delivers results.

DeSantis Has Been out in Front of the GOP Field in His Unequivocal Support for Israel

  • DeSantis has unequivocally expressed support for Israel using overwhelming force for however long it takes to eradicate Iran-backed terrorists, including Hamas, and America should provide Israel with all the necessary resources to achieve victory.  
  • DeSantis has blasted the false moral equivalence between Iran-backed terrorists attacking Israel and Israel's right and duty to act in self-defense and restore security for its citizens.  
  • DeSantis has condemned leftists, mainstream media, and the United Nations that falsely slander Israel and repeat Hamas propaganda carrying water for America and Israel's enemies.  
  • DeSantis was the first presidential candidate to say no U.S. tax dollars in assistance to Gaza that will benefit Hamas.
  • DeSantis was the first presidential candidate America should not accept refugees from Gaza to the U.S., including people with anti-Semitic, anti-American, or other toxic views who shouldn't be admitted into the country. 
  • DeSantis was the first presidential candidate to call for foreign students celebrating terrorism to have their visas canceled and sent home, and America should withhold funding from colleges and universities that promote antisemitism. 
  • DeSantis has also stated America must end U.S. funding to anti-Israel UN entities, including UNRWA, UN Human Rights Council, and UNESCO.

DeSantis will Reverse Biden's Appeasement Policies and Turn the Screws on Iran  

  • DeSantis has said he will turn the screws on Iran beginning on Day 1 -- abandoning the naïve, disastrous Obama-Biden foreign policies including -  
  • Imposing the most crippling sanctions on Iran and its terror proxies in history --- which includes immediately snapping back all of the UN sanctions. 
  • Ceasing all engagement, including secret negotiations and deals with Iran.
  • Stopping giving Iran more than $80 billion dollars in lax sanctions enforcement of Iran oil sales. 
  • Revoking sanction waivers and stopping giving Iran access to $6 billion in the terrible ransom payment, $10 billion in Iraq, and $6.7 billion from the IMF.
  • Demanding our allies fully designate the IRGC and Hezbollah as a foreign terror organization. 
  • Suspending the security clearance, investigate and hold accountable anyone implicated in the Iran foreign influence operation that has ties to senior Biden Admin officials.

Increased Protection for Florida's Jewish Communities: 

  • Beginning on October 7th, DeSantis immediately directed relevant agencies and departments to enhance and increase the protection of Florida's Jewish communities.  
  • DeSantis directed FDLE and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to work with the AG's Office and issued memos to law enforcement and Florida universities reminding them of their responsibility to protect the Jewish community. Florida's AG also issued a memo reaffirming "zero-tolerance" towards antisemitic discrimination or attacks targeting Jewish students. 
  • DeSantis condemned the reprehensible pro-Hamas rallies on college campuses across the country and increased law enforcement presence at the rallies that led to the arrest of three individuals at the "Protest for Palestine" march at FAU. Law enforcement has also been increased to protect attendees of pro-Israel rallies across the state.  
  • DeSantis' admin directed Florida universities to enforce the law and terminate student chapters, such as National Students for Justice in Palestine (National SJP), that support Hamas' terrorism and a felony under Florida law to knowingly provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.
  • DeSantis increased law enforcement patrols and presence at synagogues, Jewish Day Schools, and other Jewish institutions, which have been on heightened alert since October 7th and in response to the Hamas leader's video message threatening Jews across the world. 
  • On October 20th, DeSantis announced law enforcement arrested an illegal alien in Miami Beach after he threatened to blow up a synagogue.

Rescued Americans for the War Zone:  

  • On October 12th, Governor DeSantis issued an Executive Order requiring Florida's Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) to carry out logistical, rescue and evacuation operations for Florida residents in Israel seeking transportation back to Florida. While the Biden Administration was slow to respond and is charging Americans for using its flights, DeSantis has provided multiple passenger planes free of charge with kosher food to over 700 mainly Floridians to travel to America. These flights have been done in partnership with Project DYNAMO, a veteran-led nonprofit based out of Tampa. Along with meals, Florida has provided services such as crisis counseling, comfort stations, and hygiene kits to aid in the transition. Governor and First Lady DeSantis were proud to welcome home the first plane of Floridians on October 15th.  
  • DeSantis' Executive Order also required FDEM to provide key supplies to support Israel. Florida has so far sent two major cargo planes with 85 tons of supplies donated from Florida and Floridians, including Florida's hospital and medical system.  
  • First Lady Casey DeSantis held a roundtable at Mt. Sinai Medical Center on October 20th, reaffirming Florida's commitment to Israel and making awards through the Volunteer Florida Foundation and Hope Florida Fund, including $1 million donation to Project Dynamo and $40,000 to support organizations providing services to Floridians Jewish communities.

Announced New Iran Sanctions and Special Legislative Session 

  • DeSantis visited the Shul of Bal Harbour, Florida, on October 10th to announce the toughest state-level sanctions against Iran. In contrast to Biden's appeasement of Iran, DeSantis' proposal would prohibit state and local governments from having contracts with and investment in companies that do business in an expanded list of Iranian sectors and requires both the President and Congress to certify that Iran has stopped supporting terrorism and acquiring nuclear weapons, and that the U.S. has lifted sanctions against Iran before any state sanctions are lifted.  
  • DeSantis has also announced there will be a special legislative session to enact the new Iran sanctions and additional protections for Florida's Jewish communities. 
  • DeSantis is calling on other states to follow his leadership and make it clear that they won't be complicit in dealing with Iran.

DeSantis' Pro-Israel Leadership as Governor is Unparalleled
When DeSantis ran for governor of Florida in 2018, he promised to serve as the most pro-Israel governor in America. And he fulfilled this promise. He has visited Israel twice as Governor. The Florida-Israel relationship is stronger than ever.  

  • During DeSantis first year in office in 2019, his first overseas trip was to Israel that included several historic accomplishments.  
  • Led the largest bipartisan trade and business development mission in Florida's history with more than 100 Floridians from the private and public sector. 
  • Held the first-ever Florida cabinet meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and adopted resolutions recognizing the importance of the Florida-Israel relationship and reaffirming Jerusalem as Israel's eternal and indivisible capital.  
  • Signed more than 20 MOUs were signed strengthening the scientific, commercial, cultural, healthcare, and academic cooperation between Florida and Israel, including an extension of the Florida-Israel Innovation Partnership and a stronger partnership between Space Florida and the Israel Space Agency.  
  • Built key relationships with Israeli businesses that are now benefitting Florida, including an Israeli company that is helping Lake Okeechobee to combat blue-green algae. 
  • Was the first-ever governor to visit and hold public events in Judea and Samaria -- Israel's biblical heartland -- visiting Ariel University and Gush Etzion.  
  • Participated in wreath laying ceremony at Yad Vashem, prayed at the Western Wall, and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  
  • Governor DeSantis visited Israel for a second time as Governor in 2023 to join in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the reestablishment of the modern State of Israel and gave the keynote speech at the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem. 
  • Joined Enterprise Florida along with the Israel Innovation Authority and Israel-American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Israel) signing a joint declaration to promote greater cooperation, strategic partnerships, and trade and investment between Israel and Florida, with a special emphasis on the healthcare industry.  
  • Announced an agreement between Avenger Flight Group, LLC. (AFG), a Fort Lauderdale-based company, and EL AL Israel Airlines where AFG will build a next-generation flight training center in Israel with state-of-the-art simulators provided by AFG and EL AL will train all of its 737 and 787 pilots in that training center. 
  • Since the first trip to Israel, Florida has purchased more than $60 million in Israel bonds and hold nearly $300 million in investments - the highest amount in Florida history. 
  • Bilateral trade between Florida and Israel reached a historic high of $651 million in 2022, Over the past five years, bilateral merchandise trade has grown by 65% and over the last ten years, bilateral trade has grown 176.1% between Florida and Israel. 
  • When the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers took place in a largely Jewish neighborhood of Surfside, DeSantis welcomed the Israel Defense Force's Homefront Command search and rescue team on the scene to deploy their technological and experiential know-how. 
  • Welcomed the announcement from El Al Airlines that moved its U.S. headquarters from New York to Florida and decided to expand nonstop flights in between Florida and Israel by opening new routes between Fort Lauderdale and Tel Aviv in addition to the nonstop flights from Miami and Tel Aviv.  
  • Supported the U.S. leaving the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran, imposing maximum sanctions pressure on the Iranian regime, standing with the Iranian people, and reaffirming Iran must never get nuclear weapons.  
  • Celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day, to mark the reestablishment of the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948. 
  • Commemorated Yom HaZikaron, Israel's Memorial Day, for fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism.

Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida has taken unprecedented, strong actions to fight antisemitism in all its reprehensible forms and support Florida's Jewish communities.  

  • Passed a law requiring Florida to utilize a comprehensive definition of antisemitism, including its ancient and modern manifestations, that is very similar to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition.
  • Passed a law prohibiting antisemitic discrimination against Jewish students, making it clear Florida's K-20 educational institutions must treat antisemitic discrimination in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race. This bill was signed into law in Israel during a historic governor-led cabinet meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. 
  • Passed a law that imposes stronger and enhanced penalties of a third-degree felony with up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine for targeting an individual(s) or location(s) based on religious or ethnic heritage, and willfully and maliciously intimidates, harasses, threatens, or otherwise commit acts of antisemitism. This bill was signed into law in Israel during Governor DeSantis' second visit to Israel as Governor. 
  • Stood up to Airbnb, Unilever, and Ben & Jerry's when they announced antisemitic BDS targeting Israel, making it clear they would no longer be able to do business with Florida and BDS is DOA in Florida. 
  • Passed a law that expands Florida's anti-BDS law so it is the strongest in the country, prohibiting contracts and investments in any company engaging in BDS against Israel, including when a company attempts to facilitate BDS through financial, risk, or controversy ratings to inflict economic harm on Israel. 
  • Provided tens of millions of dollars -- the most amount ever -- in security funding to protect Jewish Day Schools from antisemitic threats in Florida's annual budgets. 
  • Passed a law strengthening Holocaust education and ensuring Florida's students learn about the evil that is antisemitism and the horrific atrocities committed by the Nazis against the Jewish people during the Holocaust.  
  • Designated the second week in November as "Holocaust Education Week" in Florida's schools, coinciding with Kristallnacht, a major turning point in the persecution of Jews by the Nazis. 
  • Commemorated Yom HaShoah, Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, to remember the 6 million Jewish men, women, and children who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust.  
  • Visited a replica cattle car with members of Florida's cabinet and state lawmakers that was used by Nazis to persecute and attempt to exterminate the Jewish people. 
  • Facilitated millions of dollars in additional funding to Holocaust museums and memorials. 
  • Honored the last living prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials, Benjamin Ferencz, with the Governor's Medal of Freedom, for holding the Nazis accountable for the evil they committed during the Holocaust. 
  • Reaffirmed anti-Zionism, including those who reject Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, is antisemitism. 
  • Directed statewide law enforcement agencies to actively increase the law enforcement presence in and around our predominately Jewish neighborhoods and near Jewish institutions when antisemitic groups tried to stir up a "Day of Hate" against Florida's Jewish community. 
  • Passed a law, the largest expansion of school choice in American history, in 2021 that made history again in 2023 as Florida has adopted universal school choice providing significant scholarships to help Floridians, including Jewish parents, be able to better afford to send their children to a school of their choice including Jewish Day Schools and yeshivas. 
  • Passed a law facilitating faith-based volunteer emergency services such as Hatzalah can officially operate to provide important medical services for Florida's Jewish communities, including Holocaust survivors. 
  • Ensured Florida's religious institutions, including synagogues, were deemed "essential services" so that they remained open for learning and prayer during the pandemic. 
  • Passed a law requiring public schools to set aside a few minutes each day in the morning for children to engage in a moment of silence and prayer.

DeSantis' Pro-Israel Record as Governor is in Line with His Record in Congress Ron DeSantis has always been a staunch supporter of Israel from his early days in Congress.

  • DeSantis introduced the Palestinian Accountability Act to withhold foreign aid from the Palestinian Authority until they meet certain requirements like recognizing Israel's right to exist.
  • DeSantis condemned Palestinian terror attacks against Israel and called for the international community to condemn them as well.
  • DeSantis congratulated Netanyahu on winning re-election as Prime Minister of Israel, leading a letter with over 190 of his colleagues, and questioned Obama's silence on Netanyahu's victory.
  • DeSantis supported Israel's claim to the Golan Heights and said it should remain under Israeli control.
  • DeSantis co-introduced the Non-Discrimination of Israel in Labeling Act to defend Israel's right to label products made in the West Bank as "Made in Israel."
  • DeSantis called for the extradition of a Jordanian terrorist involved in an attack that killed Americans in Israel.
  • DeSantis criticized the Trump administration for hesitating to acknowledge the Western Wall is part of Israel.
  • DeSantis introduced legislation, the Export Administration Anti-Discrimination Act (EAADA), to update anti-boycott (BDS) protections by expanding prohibited conduct to boycotts of Israel regardless of origin and creating a private right of action for those harmed by unlawful boycotts. The bill aimed to combat anti-Israel boycott efforts by providing legal recourse for businesses targeted by discriminatory boycotts.
  • DeSantis advocated for the suspension of funds to UNRWA and the passage of his Palestinian Accountability Act after missiles were found within UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip.
  • DeSantis led an effort urging Trump to move the embassy to Jerusalem.
  • As Chairman of the National Security Subcommittee with jurisdiction over embassy security, DeSantis led a trip to Jerusalem to identify relocation sites, meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials to find the best and timely locations to site.
  • 102 Members of Congress signed DeSantis' letter to President-Elect Trump in January 2017 expressing support for moving the embassy.
  • DeSantis Introduced Recognition of Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel Act affirming Jerusalem as Israel's capital after the UN voted to condemn Trump's recognition of Jerusalem.
  • DeSantis criticized the Trump Administration for not following through initially on relocating the embassy to Jerusalem.
  • DeSantis launched the Israel Victory Caucus.
  • DeSantis led a letter urging the State Department to allow Americans born in Jerusalem to list Israel as birthplace.

Veterans for DeSantis
Transcend Bureaucracy and Modernize VA Systems and Infrastructure

  • Connect veterans with all available support -- veteran care, benefits, and resources should never be limited to a single federal agency
  • Ensure veterans have access to a simple, straight-forward portal connecting all available support from federal, state, local, private, business, religious, and charitable organizations, similar to Florida's Care Portal and Hope Navigators
  • Audit IT deficiencies, streamline infrastructure, and upgrade patient record system
  • Eliminate redundant Congressional & VA boards, review management layers, independently audit programs, and investigate and prosecute fraud
  • Expand grant programs and partnerships with community-level veteran organizations

Combat Veteran Suicide, Substance Abuse, and Homelessness

  • Address root causes, facilitate timely access to care, and increase support for PTS, depression, and substance abuse
  • Expand benefits, educational training, and work opportunities to assist veterans in the transition to civilian life
  • Expand the VA FOX Grant program and ensure funding goes to state and local entities
  • Make the Executive Director of VA Suicide Prevention a politically appointed position that reports directly to the Secretary
  • Create a uniform veteran status verification tool for local counties and municipalities, ensuring better data on veteran suicide

Focus on Care, End Delays and Denials, and Expand Access and Benefits

  • Rescind left-wing policies not aligned with the VA's core mission, such as CRT, DEI, paid leave/travel for abortion, sex reassignment surgeries, and hormone therapies
  • Set clear benchmarks for quality and timeliness of services delivered, including reductions in delays & denials, inaccurate wait estimates, and canceled appointments
  • Codify standards on care choices under the MISSION Act, streamline the referral process, protect veteran-doctor relationships, and empower veterans to seek the best health care available, including outside the VA system
  • Expand access to private disability exams and improve claims automation
  • Enhance rural care options and recruit additional medical officers and nurses to underserved regions

Prioritize Lethality, Readiness, and Cohesion to Reverse Biden's Recruitment Crisis

  • Restore pride and trust in our military and expand recruitment programming and partnerships in high schools, JROTC, and school civics programs
  • Ban woke indoctrination at all military academies and the promotion of woke ideology by anyone acting on behalf of the U.S. military
  • Ban race and gender quotas in military recruiting and promotions and mandate personnel decisions, including accession, assignment, selection, and promotion based on merit
  • Reinstate servicemembers with backpay who refused to get mandated COVID vaccines
  • Permit education savings accounts for military families to ensure no one has to choose between a career in the military and a quality education for his or her child
  • Retool the Foreign Service by active recruitment of honorably discharged veterans

Restore Accountability at the VA

  • Strengthen accountability measures and expedite termination process for bad employees
  • End union deals that don't put our veterans first and negatively affect service quality
  • Enhance protections for whistleblowers

FUELING AMERICAN FREEDOM
Restore American Energy Dominance

  • Unleash oil and gas exploration and development, pipelines, and infrastructure on Day One to crush inflation and support working families
  • Replace climate change ideology with energy dominance in all national security and foreign policy guidance
  • Greenlight American energy exports to strengthen global stability and end energy poverty
  • Refill Strategic Petroleum Reserve and limit future use to emergencies
  • Revitalize our nuclear energy industr

Save the American Automobile

  • Repeal Biden's EV mandates and support Americans' right to drive the cars they want
  • Prevent California and faceless bureaucrats from setting America's environmental standards
  • Eliminate Biden's subsidies for electric vehicles and surtaxes on liquid fuels

Elevate Evidence Over Ideology

  • Withdraw from Paris Climate Accords, Global Methane Pledge, and all "Net Zero" commitments
  • Eliminate ESG regulations and prohibit government accounts and pensions form using ESG
  • Repeal Biden's WOTUS rule and protect our farmers and ranchers
  • Repeal Biden rules targeting gas stoves, furnaces, and appliances

Reform Environmental Permitting and End Green Lawfare

  • Streamline the environmental review process for energy and infrastructure projects
  • Work with states to reduce time and duplication in permitting
  • Prevent abusive litigation by environmental groups and defund ideological activism

Jump-Start Critical Mineral and Federal Land Development

  • Greenlight oil, gas, coal, uranium, and critical mineral mining and development on federal lands
  • Establish a Critical Mineral Strategic Reserve and reduce our reliance on China
  • Expand federal land lease sales and devolve more leasing authority to the states
  • Order agencies to establish forest management plans to prevent future wildfires

Build the Most Efficient, Affordable, and Reliable Energy Grid in the World

  • Repeal Biden's Clean Power Plan on Day One
  • Repeal and oppose all policies that increase our energy sector's reliance on China
  • Focus agencies on advancing the most reliable energy at the cheapest cost
  • Defend our grid against blackouts, cyber-attacks, EMPs, and natural disasters[24][1]

Campaign logo and slogan

See also: Presidential campaign logos and slogans, 2024

The table below displays this candidate's campaign logo and slogan. Click here to view more campaign logos and slogans in the 2024 presidential race.

2024 Republican presidential candidate logos
Candidate Logo Slogan
Ron DeSantis
Desantis2024.png
  • Our Great American Comeback

Campaign staff

See also: Ron DeSantis presidential campaign staff, 2024, Presidential election key staffers, 2024, and Presidential election campaign managers, 2024

The table below shows a partial list of national campaign staff members, including the campaign manager, senior advisors, political directors, communications directors, field directors, and the national press secretary. They are presented alongside their positions in the campaign, their most recent positions prior to the campaign, and their Twitter handles. To recommend additions, please email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.

See also: Presidential election campaign managers and key staffers, 2024
Ron DeSantis presidential campaign national staff, 2024
Staff Position Prior experience Twitter handle
James Uthmeier[25] Campaign manager Chief of staff, DeSantis' gubernatorial office @JamesUthmeierFL
Dustin Carmack[26] Policy director Research fellow, Heritage Foundation @DustinCarmack
Ryan Tyson[26] Senior advisor President and CEO, The Tyson Group @ryan_tyson
Jason Johnson[26] Senior advisor Advisor, Texas Governor Greg Abott (R) @jasonsjohnson
Generra Peck[26][25] Senior advisor Campaign manager, DeSantis' 2022 gubernatorial campaign @GenerraPeck
Bryan Griffin[26] Press secretary Press secretary, DeSantis' gubernatorial office @BryanDGriffin
Lauren Lofstrom[26] Finance director Finance director, Ted Cruz's (R) 2016 presidential campaign @LofstromLauren


Social media and campaign website

Campaign website

Social media accounts

Timeline of campaign activity

See also: Editorial approach to story selection for presidential election news events

The following section provides a timeline of DeSantis' campaign activity beginning in May 2023. The entries are sorted by month in reverse chronological order.


2024


  • January 3, 2024: DeSantis campaigned in Waukee, Iowa.[27]
  • January 2, 2024: DeSantis participated in a town hall hosted by KEYC News Now in Iowa.[28]

2023




  • October 28, 2023: DeSantis spoke at the Republican Jewish Coalition Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Click here to view his remarks.[59]
  • October 27, 2023: DeSantis delivered remarks for the Heritage Foundation's Mandate for Leadership Series in Washington, D.C..[60]
  • October 24, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Londonderry and Rye, New Hampshire.[61][62]
  • October 21, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Clinton and Dubuque, Iowa.[63][64]
  • October 20, 2023: DeSantis held campaign events in Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach, and Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.[65] DeSantis also spoke at Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' annual tailgate in Iowa City, Iowa.[66]
  • October 19, 2023:
    • DeSantis spoke to the South Carolina and North Carolina Federations of Republican Women in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and spoke about veterans issues in Anderson, South Carolina.[67][68]
    • DeSantis released his policy on veterans' issues. The policy, posted on his campaign website, said DeSantis would: "Transcend bureaucracy and modernize VA systems and infrastructure, [...] combat veteran suicide, substance abuse, and homelessness, [...] focus on care, end delays and denials, and expand access and benefits, [...] prioritize lethality, readiness, and cohesion to reverse Biden's recruitment crisis, [... and] restore accountability at the VA."[69]
  • October 15, 2023: The October quarterly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. DeSantis raised $11 million and spent $11 million, with $12 million in cash on hand as of September 30.[70]
  • October 14, 2023: DeSantis held a campaign event in Council Bluffs, Iowa.[71]
  • October 13, 2023: DeSantis held a town hall in Merrimack, New Hampshire and spoke at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Goffstown, New Hampshire.[72][73] DeSantis also spoke at the New Hampshire Republican Party's First in the Nation Leadership Summit in Nashua, New Hampshire. Click here to view his remarks.[74]
  • October 9, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Le Mars and Storm Lake, Iowa.[75]
  • October 8, 2023: DeSantis held a campaign event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[76]
  • October 7, 2023:
    • DeSantis campaigned in Ankeny, Bloomfield, and Keosauqua, Iowa.[77]
    • DeSantis issued a statement in response to Hamas' military attacks against Israel, and Israel's subsequent declaration of war. DeSantis said, "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."[78]
  • October 5, 2023: DeSantis held a rally with law enforcement officers in Tampa, Florida.[79]
  • October 4, 2023: DeSantis held campaign events in Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina.[80]

  • September 29, 2023: DeSantis held a campaign event in Long Beach, California, and spoke at the California Republican Party convention in Orange County, California.[81][82]
  • September 24, 2023: DeSantis attended a veterans appreciation event in Coronado, California.[83]
  • September 20, 2023: DeSantis released his energy policy at an event in Midland, Texas. DeSantis said, "We will unleash American energy dominance as a way to stop inflation and achieve $2 gas in 2025. We need a pro-America energy policy that puts Midland over Moscow, the Marcellus over the Mullahs, and the Bakken over Beijing. We will reverse American decline by reversing Biden's America last energy agenda, eliminating reliance on hostile nations for energy, and putting the economic interests of Americans before the radical left's ideological agenda."[84]
  • September 18, 2023: DeSantis attended fundraisers in Clay County, St. Johns County, and Duval County, Florida.[85]
  • September 16, 2023: DeSantis delivered remarks at the God Above Government Rally and the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition Town Hall in Des Moines, Iowa. Click here to view his remarks at the God Above Government Rally, and click here to view his remarks at the Faith & Freedom Coalition Town Hall.[86][87]
  • September 15, 2023: DeSantis spoke at the Family Research Council Pray, Vote, Stand summit in Washington, D.C..[88] Click here to view his remarks.
  • September 13, 2023: DeSantis attended a fundraiser for his campaign in Greenwich, Connecticut.[89]
  • September 11, 2023: DeSantis commemorated the anniversary of Sept. 11 at a memorial ceremony at ground zero in New York City.[90]
  • September 9, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Grundy County, Iowa. DeSantis also attended the Iowa vs. Iowa State football game in Ames.[91][92]

  • August 31, 2023: Officials from Never Back Down, a Super PAC supporting DeSantis, confirmed that the PAC ended door-knocking operations in Nevada and California.[93]
  • August 27, 2023: DeSantis canceled several campaign appearances in South Carolina to assist with preparations for Hurricane Idalia in Florida.[94]
  • August 26, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Kossuth County, Iowa.[95]
  • August 25, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Dickinson County, Iowa.[96]
  • August 24, 2023: DeSantis held a rally in Dyersville, Iowa.[97]
  • August 23, 2023: DeSantis participated in the first Republican presidential primary debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Click here to read a summary of his statements.
  • August 19, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Londonderry and Manchester, New Hampshire.[98]
  • August 15, 2023: DeSantis commented on the Georgia grand jury indictment of Donald Trump (R). DeSantis said, "I think it’s an example of this criminalization of politics. [...] I think there are criminals that they’ve let out that shouldn’t have been let out and so now they’re doing an inordinate amount of resources to try to shoehorn this contest over the 2020 election into a RICO statute, which was really designed to be able to go after organized crime."[99]
  • August 12, 2023: DeSantis participated in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' (R) Fair-Side Chats event. Click here to view a video of the discussion.[100]
  • August 11, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Cass County, Shelby County and Guthrie County, Iowa.[101][102][103]
  • August 10, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Cedar County and Johnson County, Iowa.[104][105]
  • August 9, 2023: DeSantis' campaign said he signed the Republican National Committee pledges necessary to participate in the first Republican primary debate.[106]
  • August 8, 2023: The DeSantis campaign replaced campaign manager Generra Peck with DeSantis chief of staff James Uthmeier. Peck will continue to work for the campaign as a senior advisor.[107]
  • August 7, 2023: DeSantis wrote an op-ed for USA Today titled "Ron DeSantis: America's economy is decimated. As president, I have a plan to rebuild it." DeSantis wrote, "We will declare our economic independence from the failed elites who orchestrated American decline and from never-ending federal spending that inflated prices and left nation on brink of insolvency."[108]
  • August 6, 2023: DeSantis spoke at Rep. Ashley Hinson's (R-Iowa) BBQ Bash event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.[109]
  • August, 5, 2023,: DeSantis campaigned in Black Hawk County, Iowa.[110]
  • August 4, 2023:
  • August 1, 2023:
    • DeSantis commented on the federal indictment of Donald Trump (R) related to interference in the certification of the 2020 presidential election. DeSantis said, "As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans. While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right to remove cases from Washington, DC to their home districts. Washington, DC is a 'swamp' and it is unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality."[114]
    • DeSantis campaigned in Concord, New Hampshire.[115]

  • July 31, 2023: DeSantis announced a ten-point economic plan in Rochester, New Hampshire. DeSantis' plan included "taking back control of our economy from China and restoring our economic sovereignty," "ending environmental, social, and governance standards and political engineering by large investors," and "achieving 3% growth by incentivizing investment, eliminating bureaucracy and red tape, and keeping taxes low."[116][117]
  • July 28, 2023:
    • DeSantis campaigned in Appanoose County, Iowa.[118]
    • DeSantis spoke at the Iowa Republican Party's Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa. Click here to watch his remarks.[119]
    • DeSantis released a military policy plan. DeSantis wrote, "We cannot tolerate political agendas in our military. We cannot allow military and civilian leaders to use our armed forces for social experimentation or to advance woke ideology. We must restore our military to its proper function. The military's mission is to defend America. Any distraction from our military's mission will be eliminated under my administration."[120]
  • July 27, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Corydon and Lamoni, Iowa.[121][122]
  • July 26, 2023: DeSantis spoke at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) conference in Orlando, Florida.[123]
  • July 25, 2023: DeSantis' campaign fired 38 paid staffers, more than a third of the campaign's total paid staff. Generra Peck, DeSantis' campaign manager, said, "Following a top-to-bottom review of our organization, we have taken additional, aggressive steps to streamline operations and put Ron DeSantis in the strongest position to win this primary and defeat Joe Biden."[124]
  • July 25, 2023: Florida Politics reported that DeSantis' affiliated PAC, Never Back Down PAC, would begin a television ad campaign on July 31 in Iowa.[125]
  • July 21, 2023: Utah Senate President Stuart Adams (R) endorsed DeSantis.[126]
  • July 18, 2023:
    • DeSantis campaigned in South Carolina and participated in an interview on CNN.[127]
    • DeSantis commented on the announcement that Trump could be indicted as part of investigations into the breach of the U.S. Capitol during the electoral vote count on January 6, 2021, saying, "I think it was shown how he was in the White House and didn't do anything while things were going on ... But to try to criminalize that, that's a different issue entirely ... [W]e want to be in a situation where you don't have one side just constantly trying to put the other side in jail."[128]
  • July 17, 2023: DeSantis delivered a speech at the Christians United for Israel's annual policy summit.[129]
  • July 15, 2023: The July quarterly Federal Election Commission campaign finance reporting deadline passed. DeSantis raised $20 million and spent $8 million with $12 million in cash on hand as of June 30.[130]
  • July 14, 2023: Politico reported that Communications Director Dave Abrams and campaign staff member Tucker Obenshain left the DeSantis presidential campaign to work for a non-profit group aligned with the candidate.[131]
  • July 12, 2023: DeSantis appeared at a Hamilton County Republican Party luncheon in Indiana.[132]
  • July 4, 2023: DeSantis participated in an Independence Day parade in Merrimack, New Hampshire.[133]

  • June 30, 2023: DeSantis spoke at the Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[134]
  • June 29, 2023: DeSantis attended campaign fundraisers in New York City and Rockland County, New York. Wall Street executives hosted the New York City fundraiser, and Seth Gribetz, an investor, hosted the Rockland County fundraiser.[135]
  • June 28, 2023: Nineteen North Carolina elected officials endorsed DeSantis, including North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell (R) and state Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr. (R).[136]tain/70365953007/ Lohud, "Planned DeSantis fundraiser is canceled at Rockland hotel and appears to have been moved," June 28, 2023]</ref>
  • June 27, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Hollis, New Hampshire.[137]
  • June 26, 2023:
    • DeSantis campaigned in Eagle Pass, Texas.[138]
    • DeSantis released his immigration policy. DeSantis wrote, "As president I will put an end to this moral and humanitarian catastrophe by shutting down illegal entries and building the wall, once and for all. There are more than 600 miles of the US-Mexico border without an effective barrier to illegal crossings: I will use every ounce of my executive power and political capital to get the wall built."[139]
  • June 23, 2023: DeSantis spoke at the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington, D.C..[140]
  • June 22, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in North Augusta, South Carolina.[141]
  • June 19, 2023: DeSantis attended a campaign fundraiser in Woodside, California.[142]
  • June 17, 2023: DeSantis spoke at former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt's (R) Basque Fry in Gardnerville, Nevada.[143]
  • June 10, 2023:
  • June 9, 2023: DeSantis spoke at the North Carolina GOP Convention in Greensboro, North Carolina.[146]
  • June 8, 2023:
  • DeSantis campaigned in three Texas cities: Fort Worth, Texas, Dallas, and Houston.
  • DeSantis commented on Trump's indictment on charges he mishandled classified documents: "The DeSantis administration will bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias and end weaponization once and for all. The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society. We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation. Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?"[147]
  • June 7, 2023:
  • June 5, 2023: DeSantis commented on the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, saying: "Democrats are boasting about the $4 trillion debt ceiling scheme that locks in inflationary COVID-era spending levels and keeps 98% of Biden's IRS expansion to target the middle class. While this "deal" benefits the DC political class, the American people are yet again getting stuck with the bill."[149]
  • June 3, 2023: DeSantis attended an event organized by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) in Des Moines, Iowa.[150]
  • June 2, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in South Carolina.[151]
  • June 1, 2023:
    • DeSantis campaigned in Manchester and Rochester, New Hampshire.[152][153]
    • DeSantis commented on the debt ceiling deal, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, saying, "The Republican House was the only entity in government that actually produced a product. The Senate never produced a product. Biden never produced any vision for anything like that. And so I felt that they had more leverage and I think it would have ended up being where the Senate and Biden would have had to have taken something that would have been much better off because they would have been the ones that would have been trying to trigger a default, not the, not the House that actually passed legislation to avoid it. [...] I would have reduced some of the discretionary spending even more."[154]

  • May 31, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Cedar Rapids, Salix, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. At the event in Salix, DeSantis said that colleges and universities should be required to pay back student loans if a borrower defaults, and at the event in Council Bluffs, DeSantis said he would offer back pay to individuals who resigned from the military due to coronavirus vaccine requirements.[155][156]
  • May 30, 2023: DeSantis campaigned in Des Moines, Iowa.[157]
  • May 24, 2023: DeSantis announced his candidacy in a live-streamed conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk and David Sacks.[3]


See also

Footnotes

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