Ron DeSantis’ Foreign Policy – “Without question, China is America’s greatest threat,” was how Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis answered a question about the most important foreign policy question the United States today faces. He then went into a great exposition about how the leadership of President Xi Jinping is fundamentally different from those of his predecessors; about how Xi is more assertive on the foreign stage and how Xi Jinping’s governing style threatens not just freedom inside of China but the independence of the entire region—indeed, the world.
With this first major interview with Governor Ron DeSantis about foreign policy, the world is getting a glimpse at how a President Ron DeSantis (doesn’t that sound lovely?) would behave on the world stage. Prioritizing the rise of China and treating it as a serious challenge to the United States is the necessary and proper path forward.
It’ll be a nice change from what we’ve gotten thus far under President Joe Biden which has been much bluster but with very little follow-through (because I believe that ultimately Biden desires to make a geopolitical deal with Beijing on Climate Change and trade).
Ron DeSantis: Demonstrating Resolve
As governor, DeSantis has made it a point to demonstrate resolve against China’s growing threat.
Although not a national position, as governor of Florida, DeSantis presides over the fourth-largest economy in the United States and, if Florida were an independent nation, it’d be the fourteenth-largest economy in the world. It is a major hub for shipping and international trade as well. Therefore, it is a destination for international investors.
Governor Ron DeSantis has acted boldly to stop Chinese firms from purchasing land. He is concerned that Chinese citizens and state-owned enterprises are attempting to gain a foothold over Florida’s arable land (which would give them advantageous positions over Florida’s agricultural supply) as well as near sensitive military installations which line the Sunshine State.
Ukraine as a Sideshow
Beyond the China threat, Ron DeSantis has made news in recent weeks with his stances on the Russo-Ukraine War which has not endeared him to the foreign policy blob in Washington, D.C. (and that’s a very good thing).
In DeSantis’ summation of the situation, the Ukraine War is not something the United States should be overly involved in. While he, like most Americans, support the Ukrainian cause, he also recognizes that there are inherent limits to that which we could—or should—be doing to buttress Ukrainian independence in the face of Russian aggression.
As DeSantis sees it, we’ve reached the inherent limits of our involvement in Ukraine and Washington should start ratcheting down tensions—especially because the longer we remain embroiled in Ukraine against Russia, the less capable the United States is in achieving its other foreign policy objectives.
Then there’s DeSantis’ experience as an officer in the United States Navy. He served as a legal adviser for the US Navy SEALs. He served in Iraq during the nastiest parts of the war there, as the insurgency was at its peak, and Coalition forces were rallying under US Army General David Petraeus’ famous “surge.”
Another aspect of DeSantis’ career was dealing with terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. All these positions gave the Ivy League-educated lawyer serious insight into the ramifications of when U.S. foreign policy leaders make bad decisions. This was something that DeSantis touched upon during his interview with Piers Morgan.
Prudent Realism for Ron DeSantis
A DeSantis foreign policy would be the most Republican foreign policy agenda in decades. Unlike so many on the New Right, Ron DeSantis is not an isolationist. At the same time, his military experiences in Iraq during the Global War on Terrorism, has informed him about the dangers of having an overly militarized foreign policy.
While it is still too early to label DeSantis’ foreign policy, it does seem that he leans more toward a form of prudent realism—which is in keeping with the best legacy of Republican Party foreign policy.
A President Ron DeSantis will not go abroad in search of monsters to destroy. Although, a President Ron DeSantis will not turn a blind eye to crises worldwide. He was an understandable supporter of arming Ukraine and giving the embattled nation the weapons and capabilities it needed to preserve its sovereignty in the face of growing Russian aggression.
Yet, DeSantis was never in favor of committing all US focus and resources to the Ukrainian cause. DeSantis rightly understands the systemic threat that the People’s Republic of China poses to the United States and wants to fixate on curbing China’s growing appetite for global dominance.
A Perfect Combination of Eisenhower and Reagan
Like Dwight D. Eisenhower, DeSantis will not simply retreat from the world. He will continue supporting actual US allies to the degree that is most beneficial to the United States. But, he won’t risk direct warfare. In fact, there is some indication that he might favor the Eisenhower approach of Massive Retaliation rather than wasting precious American lives and resources trying for a more aggressive foreign policy.
Further, DeSantis has made clear that he will not simply abandon the world and will likely seek to maintain some semblance of Reagan’s Cold War era strategy of defeating America’s greatest enemy—in this case, China—without directly fighting them.
Being tough without being foolish. Being hawkish without being an interventionist. Using all elements of statecraft to oppose American rivals, these are the methods that a true statesman uses to protect the national interest. Ron DeSantis will be a wonderful foreign policy president if his early actions and statements on the matter are any indication of where his nascent foreign policy is headed.
MORE: Kamala Harris Is a Disaster
MORE: Joe Biden – Headed For Impeachment?
A 19FortyFive Senior Editor, Brandon J. Weichert is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, as well as at American Greatness and the Asia Times. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower (Republic Book Publishers), Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life (May 16), and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy (July 23). Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
