Gov. Ron DeSantis went on Meet The Press to save his lifeless presidential campaign, and it was an absolute disaster.
One segment of the interview was especially devastating.
Transcript via Meet The Press:
KRISTEN WELKER:
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Maine doesn’t have strong background checks.
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
No.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Are you arguing for that?
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
No. Federal firearm licenses, everyone has to go through where they scrub this. So, the question is, “What are you putting into the system?” If somebody has a mental health involuntary commitment, then that can simply be put into the existing system. You don’t need additional things. And here’s the problem I have with some of the proposals that have been done, and particularly in some of the more blue states, is that will be weaponized against people that the government doesn’t like. I mean, you have a situation where someone can just make an anonymous call into a police station, let’s say, say something bad about someone–
KRISTEN WELKER:
But that anonymous call —
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
– and then, they come in and take firearms?
KRISTEN WELKER:
– could have helped in this moment, could it not have, Governor? Couldn’t an anonymous call have helped in this moment to block this shooter from getting a gun, and going into these establishments, and shooting up 18 of his fellow citizens?
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
And he could have had that involuntary commitment just put into the normal system. That is something that would have been able to pop on a background check. To then say that –
KRISTEN WELKER:
But how can you commit someone you can’t find, Governor?
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
–people should just be able to call–
KRISTEN WELKER:
How can you commit someone you can’t find?
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
When you have an involuntary commitment, that triggers things to go into a background check system. So, that should have been enough if that information was put into it. So that’s what I would do. I would focus on those individuals who’ve actually gone and either been involuntary committed, been adjudicated to be mentally ill. That’s really the approach that matters. I think you can look, you know, in Florida, our crime rate’s at a 50-year low, and our violent crime rate’s down 30% since I’ve been governor. So, we’re handling it strong.
KRISTEN WELKER:
Governor, actually, statistically speaking, the CDC says that the firearm mortality rate is actually higher under your administration than it was under your predecessor’s administration. But I do want to move on to the campaign–
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
The–
KRISTEN WELKER:
–and just get your–
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
–the what mortality rate? No, no.
KRISTEN WELKER:
The firearm mortality rate.
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
Well, I don’t, but I–
KRISTEN WELKER:
Was actually higher under your administration–
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
No, well, first of all, I mean, we–
KRISTEN WELKER:
–than your predecessor’s.
GOV. RON DeSANTIS:
We–
KRISTEN WELKER:
That’s according to the CDC
Video:
The segment explains why DeSantis is getting crushed by a man whose mental facilities seem to be slipping as he faces four criminal trials and 91 felony counts. Ron DeSantis can’t handle a Meet The Press interview about his own record. How would he possibly handle leading the county?
Not only does Ron DeSantis have the personality equivalent of getting a splinter stuck in your toe, but he isn’t competent and can’t handle the slightest bit of questioning and scrutiny.
The interview was a self-inflicted humiliation that showed that even if Trump ends up in prison before the Republican nomination is decided, Ron DeSantis has no chance of being the Republican nominee.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
