Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pledging that he would “drain the swamp” in Washington D.C. if elected president, making the case that former President Donald Trump failed to achieve this critical task during his term.
“I give him credit, even though we’re competing, for the great things he did do. But one of the things he did not do was drain the swamp… the swamp got worse in his four years,” DeSantis said on “The Ingraham Angle” Tuesday.
Speaking to Laura Ingraham, DeSantis portrayed himself as the ideal candidate to halt the political “weaponization” of the federal government. He suggested this would commence with the dismissal of FBI Director Christopher Wray, who was appointed under Trump’s recommendation from ex-New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. However, Trump later distanced himself from this choice.
“You’re going to see the DOJ cleared out. We are going to ensure a single standard of justice in this country again. And I can say that with credibility, because I’ve done that in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.
He referred to his decisions in Florida, where he influenced the removal of some officials or accepted their resignations. He mentioned that two prosecutors financed by [George] Soros neglected law enforcement.
DeSantis recently suspended Monique Worrell, a state prosecutor. Worrell, allegedly backed by Soros-linked groups, later disassociated herself from Soros.
She reacted to her suspension by labeling DeSantis a “weak dictator” and claiming it represented the “loss of democracy.”
In another instance in 2022, DeSantis dismissed Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, accusing him of dereliction in his law enforcement responsibilities.
DeSantis emphasized, “I’ve shown an ability to take action and get the job done. And as the president, I am going to do the same thing.”
Recalling 2019, he mentioned his executive order suspending Palm Beach County’s top election official, Susan Bucher, and receiving Broward County Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes’ resignation after a ballot controversy.
On Fox News, DeSantis highlighted that Trump had ample opportunity to dismiss Wray and chose not to take strict actions against Hillary Clinton.
“Two weeks after the election, he said, ‘Never mind that I said that’ and let her off the hook,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis cautioned against nominating a “Rockefeller Republican” or a candidate without prior accomplishments in 2024.
When asked about rallying the GOP base without Trump in 2024, DeSantis cited Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s significant re-election win despite Trump’s opposition and his own landslide re-election win in Florida against Charlie Crist, despite Trump’s criticism.
“Donald Trump opposed him throughout that election, and even suggested Stacey Abrams would be a better governor,” he said. “And then in Florida, we won re-election by a record margin for a Republican: Over 1.5 million votes. Donald Trump attacked me three days before the midterm election.”
Trump has frequently critiqued DeSantis, coining the term “Ron DeSanctimonious”. In Iowa, Trump also alleged that DeSantis “dislikes ethanol” – an essential product for the corn-rich state. A DeSantis campaign representative refuted this, emphasizing the governor’s commitment to expanding markets for U.S. farmers.
Following DeSantis’ interview, Make America Great Again Inc. responded to Fox News.
“Ron DeSantis lives a life of luxury at the expense of others, while President Donald Trump has sacrificed his life of luxury in service of others. DeSantis’ governor’s mansion is outfitted with a golf simulator gifted by one of Florida’s biggest developers, and DeSantis frequently flies around on private jets owned by those who have business in front of the state. DeSantis’ chief of staff also mixed politics with state business by serving as a top fundraiser for DeSantis’ campaign and directly soliciting donations from lobbyists in Tallahassee,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.
