Ron DeSantis says he ‘muscled’ in Mexican border talk at GOP debate

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently complained about how some candidates were too “aggressive” in the Republican presidential debate, but is giving himself credit for getting words in where they might not have been sought.

DeSantis, addressing a crowd in Rock Rapids, Iowa, contended that he was “proud to be able to at that debate, muscle in issues that maybe the moderators didn’t necessarily want to talk about.”

“One of those issues was the issue of our southern border,” DeSantis said. “I’m going to be the President that finally puts this issue to bed. We are going to solve the problem. No more slogans. No more rhetoric. No more empty promises. We’re going to get it done,” the Governor said at a Never Back Down meet and greet event.

Indeed, DeSantis was a hawk on that issue, one of the highlights from Milwaukee for the Governor.

“I’m not going to send troops to Ukraine, but I am going to send them to our southern border when these drug pushers are bringing fentanyl across the border; that’s going to be the last thing they do. We’re going to use force and we’re going to leave them stone-cold dead,” the Governor said.

DeSantis distinguished himself by saying he would be willing to send Special Forces into sovereign Mexican territory, continuing his promises to treat illegal border crossers like enemy combatants.

“Yes, and I will do it on Day 1,” he said. “So, when they’re coming across, yes, we’re going to use lethal force. Yes, we reserve the right to operate.”

Interestingly, DeSantis complained about the style of former Vice President Mike Pence, who got the most speaking time by challenging Vivek Ramaswamy and even DeSantis (once).

“He was aggressive and interrupting and getting involved and doing that, which is fine,” DeSantis said on Thursday’s Brian Kilmeade Show.

“I saw a little bit of the cross chatter that was happening among some of the other candidates.”

He added that candidates should use their speaking time more wisely.

“You always want as much time as possible because that’s exposure you’re getting,” DeSantis said.

“But my view would be, ‘OK, of the time you get, how much of it is really good time being used to deliver a message to the voters at home about what you’re going to do as President?’ I would say the time I got 100% of it was devoted to delivering our message.”

DeSantis had one memorable interaction with Pence.

When candidates were asked if they would support Trump even if he were convicted of crimes related to Jan. 6, DeSantis looked around the stage before sheepishly raising his hand as part of the middle of the pack.

Chris Christie and Ramaswamy spent much of the segment throwing rhetorical haymakers as DeSantis kept his counsel. DeSantis did not defend Trump against Christie as advised.

Asked directly if Pence did the “right thing” on Jan. 6, DeSantis reverted to a stump speech chestnut.

“This election is not about Jan. 6 of 2021. It’s about Jan. 20 of 2025, when the next President is going to take office.”

The former Vice President challenged DeSantis on not having answered the question.

“I’ve answered this before. Mike did his duty. I’ve got no beef with him,” DeSantis said, quickly pivoting to blasting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.