Ron DeSantis speculated that Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his vice president because she was the ‘best impeachment insurance,’ claiming no one would prefer her over the current president.
During a campaign stop in South Carolina on Thursday, the Florida governor said he isn’t concerned about winning the Republican nomination in such a crowded field because he is in it to win it.
Just because Harris is a bad presidential prospective, DeSantis said, doesn’t mean that Biden is much better.
‘If we muff this one, and Biden gets in again – heck, you may end up with Kamala as president even,’ DeSantis said when an Augusta, South Carolina audience member asked if he’s worried about winning the primary.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed that President Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his vice president because she is the ‘best insurance’ against him being impeached and having her become the chief executive
‘No matter what he does, no one wants Kamala,’ DeSantis claimed as the argument for why Biden will never be impeached
‘You know, when he picked her for VP, a lot of people were like, ‘Oh my God, why did he do that?’ Because, I mean, obviously she’s got issues,’ the governor continued. ‘But you know, I kind of understand why he did it, because like, she’s the best impeachment insurance money can buy.’
‘No matter what he does, no one wants Kamala,’ he said as attendees chuckled. ‘So that’s kind of where we are with that one.’
Some far-right legislatures have introduced articles of impeachment to remove President Biden from office – but none have been given much air by the rest of Congress.
DeSantis also said during his stump speech at the start of the event Thursday that he would fire half of the federal government workforce to ‘clean out’ corruption. He then took questions from voters during a campaign stop in South Carolina following criticism from reporters for not doing so.
A voter and Military veteran named Debbie told DeSantis that she is concerned he won’t be able to win the nomination because a crowded field could split voters and lead to another Trump general election.
But DeSantis says he doesn’t share in that concern.
‘Not if you guys do your part,’ he said to cheers. ‘The sky’s the limit for us. I mean, we can do it. We’ll do it.’
‘Look, I mean, all I can tell you is this – people can do what they want,’ he added. ‘The only reason I’m running is to win and deliver on these promises. That’s the only reason.’
‘I’m not trying to get my name out there,’ Desantis said, ‘I don’t want to get some contributorship from one of these media outlets. I don’t care about that. We’re running to win and to deliver. And that’s really the only reason to run and I feel compelled to do it.’
The Florida governor said as president he would lead in a ‘new era of accountability in Washington, D.C. by making sure federal agencies didn’t have an unbalanced amount of centralized power.
‘We’re going to be reducing the footprint in Washington D.C.,’ DeSantis said during remarks to a crowd gathered in North Augusta, South Carolina on Thursday.
‘We’re going to be issuing an edict to all cabinet secretaries to reduce the footprint of their agencies in Washington D.C. by at least 50%,’ the Florida governor said of his plans if he become president. ‘Fire people, attrition, send them to Dubuque, whatever you want to do.’
DeSantis told South Carolina voters at Thursday’s campaign rally he would fire 50% of federal government agency workers if he becomes president. The governor took several questions from the crowd following criticism from reporters that he didn’t publicly speak with voters
He concluded: ‘But we have too much consolidation of power in Washington DC and we need to do something about it.’
DeSantis, who has only been on the campaign trail for less than a month, received criticism from some reporters for not taking questions from voters at his events. The governor on Thursday, however, told the South Carolina crowd to throw their questions at him following his stump speech in the early primary contest state.Â
Steve Peoples from the Associated Press asked DeSantis while he was walking around speaking and taking pictures with voters why he doesn’t ‘take questions from voters.’
‘What are you talking about, I’m out here talking with people. Are you blind?’ DeSantis shot back at the reporter.
‘I’m not blind,’ he replied in the exchange caught on camera by NBC News.
‘So people are coming up to me talking to me about whatever they want to talk to me about,’ he added.
The first ‘question’ on Thursday, came from an 85-year-old man who said he just wanted to tell DeSantis that he has his support, but had no further inquiry.
‘God bless you,’ DeSantis said to the man before taking several questions – one from a Marine Corps veteran; another from a law enforcement officer; one from a junior in high school named Drew; one from a mother with a daughter worried about biological men playing in women’s sports and another one from a man who said he was still on the fence on who he is voting for in 2024.
One attendee said he was attending the remarks on behalf of a group of struggling Military veterans who are hoping for marijuana to be decriminalized. ‘I don’t think we would do that,’ DeSantis bluntly replied before explaining the negative effects widespread drug use has on children.
But DeSantis’ message was reminiscent of former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, where he vowed to ‘drain the Washington swamp’ by implementing new leadership and cleaning house at federal agencies, as well.
‘We need a new era of accountability with these agencies in D.C., and we will bring that on Day One with me,’ DeSantis assured. ‘You’ll have a new FBI director, you’re going to have the Justice Department cleaned out.’
DeSantis engaged with voters at his remarks in a gymnasium in North Augusta, South Carolina where the scoreboard showed him as both teams tied at 47, which is the number of the next U.S. president.
‘I want your support, I need your support,’ DeSantis said when concluding his remarks before taking the questions.
After declining to take audience questions after his first New Hampshire campaign event today, Ron DeSantis lashed out at a reporter for asking him about it while he was chatting with members of the crowd individually.
Here¿s the video, via @NBCNews ¿> pic.twitter.com/Z2WtLy0JNj
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) June 1, 2023