WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) criticized Senate Republicans seeking to secure a deal on border security and aid for Ukraine and Israel, accusing those lawmakers of “basically caving on everything to the Democrats.”
“I’m sick of Republicans, you see what they are doing right now in Washington with these senators doing some border agreement, which is basically caving on everything to the Democrats,” DeSantis said Saturday during an event at his campaign offices in West Des Moines.
For weeks, the Biden administration and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Senate have been trying to strike a deal on legislation that could reduce the growing number of unlawful border crossings. Talks have been going on for weeks, and the details are still unclear, but negotiations have been focused on tightening U.S. asylum laws.
With the Iowa caucuses days away, DeSantis is attempting to appeal to the more conservative voter, positioning himself further to the right than former President Donald Trump on matters including immigration and the budget.
“These guys get beat by the Democrats time and time again. They’ve got a majority in the House, and [Rep. Chip Roy] and some of these other guys are fighting, but they are doing budget deals to cave to the Democrats,” said DeSantis, who is endorsed by Roy (R-TX).
DeSantis’s comments come after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said he was sticking with a budget deal he struck with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), setting top-line 2024 spending levels at $1.66 trillion. The deal remains intact even after conservative Republicans pressed the party leader to withdraw from the agreement.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“I’m sick of the Democrats winning,” DeSantis said to supporters on Saturday. “I’m sick of the fact the Democrats beat Donald Trump on the budget time and time again, and they added so much to the debt. I’m sick of the fact that the Democrats beat him on the border wall, and we did not get a border wall over four years like we were promised.”
DeSantis has gone all in on Iowa, and it is unclear if it is paying off. A Suffolk University Political Research Center poll released earlier this week found United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley topping DeSantis in Iowa at 20% compared to his 13%. Trump continues to lead the field with 54% support.
