Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made headlines and turned heads for comments he made earlier this week.
While speaking at a barbecue campaign event in Rye, N.H., hosted by former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), the GOP presidential contender vowed to take on the nefarious “deep state” – the supposed cabal of unelected officials who are believed by some to be secretly manipulating the government.
Ron DeSantis painted a quite vivid and graphic picture of how that might be accomplished during a Q&A session at the campaign event.
“We’re going to have all of these deep state people, you know, we are going to start slitting throats on day one,” DeSantis said, and as Fox News reported, it has echoed the approach the Florida governor has taken against political opponents in the Sunshine State.
Ron DeSantis Crazy Comments?
This isn’t the first time that DeSantis, who currently trails former President Donald Trump in recent polls, has employed such vitriol in describing how he’d deal with those who he maintains are taking the country in the wrong direction.
It was just last month that the governor said he would target those within the Department of Defense.
“I think the idea that you take a flag (officer) or general officer who recently retired and put them as (secretary of defense), I think is a mistake, DeSantis told Real America’s voice – a clear reference to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who required a congressional waiver as he had recently retired from the U.S. military.
“You know, they may have to slit some throats. And it’s a lot harder to do that if these are people that you’ve trained within the past,” DeSantis continued. “So we’re going to have somebody out there, you know, be very firm, very strong, but they are going to make sure that we have the best people in the best positions, and there’s not going to be necessarily prior relationships that would cloud that judgment.”
DeSantis has been attempting to court conservatives by calling for the elimination of departments within the Federal Government. He’s previously said if elected, that would include the departments of Commerce, Education, and Energy, as well as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The governor further promised to make cuts to some workforces across the government and said he would take power away from unelected bureaucrats who have presided over an “accumulation of power over decades.”
Federal Worker Union Responded
The American Federation of Government Employees – which is the largest federal employee union representing 750,000 federal and D.C. government workers – has touted how federal workers have dedicated their lives to serving the country. The group responded to comments, stating that the words demonstrate he should not be president. AFGE has already endorsed President Biden for reelection.
“Gov. DeSantis’ threat to ‘start slitting throats’ of federal employees is dangerous, disgusting, disgraceful, and disqualifying,” AFGE President Everett Kelly said, Government Executive reported. “These public servants deserve respect and commendation from our nation’s leaders. No federal employee should face death threats from anyone, least of all from someone seeking to lead the U.S. government.”
Kelly further called upon DeSantis to retract his comments.
DeSantis Back on the Trail
The Florida governor, who has supported calls to impeach President Joe Biden, also rolled out his “Declaration of Economic Independence” plan in New Hampshire this week.
“We must be a society in which Americans who work hard and give the most of their God-given ability are able to succeed, to afford to buy a home, a car and to raise a family,” DeSantis said. “My promise is that I will always fight for our citizens, our families, our future, and our way of life – and I will never back down. We will take back control of our destiny – and ensure that our future is as proud, independent, and free as our past.”
The Florida governor is certainly logging the miles, as he is set to head back to Iowa on Friday where he will take part in the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down bus tour.
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
