Fresh off of a well-received speech at the Lincoln Dinner in Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) unveiled his economic policy plan in Rochester, New Hampshire, another critical early nominating state, on Monday as he attempts to reset his beleaguered campaign.
His plan for growing the economy includes eliminating American dependence on China, achieving energy independence from foreign nations, nixing the use of environmental, social, and governance by pension funds, ending affirmative action in the economy, reforming the nation's education system, ending illegal immigration, and reining in the Federal Reserve and congressional spending.
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"Our country is in decline right now. We see it with military decline, cultural decline, but we also see it in terms of economic decline," DeSantis said. "And I'm running for president because we cannot be satisfied with simply managing this decline a little bit better than the Democrats."
DeSantis mainly championed supporting America's middle-class families, working-class families, and small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic against Washington, D.C., elites, "corporatism," and the growing influence of China on the global economy.
"Today the bottom half of households have less wealth than they did in 1989. Meanwhile, the top 10% have added $29 trillion in wealth. COVID lockdowns accelerated that trend. It crippled the market share of small businesses and benefited the largest corporations," DeSantis said. "It diminished the purchasing power of our middle class, and it upended our workforce such that millions of people left the workforce, and still to this day, have not returned."
The "Declaration of Economic Independence" speech comes during a crucial moment for the Florida governor's campaign. DeSantis has faced declining poll numbers and growing uncertainty that his campaign is viable, especially considering former President Donald Trump's sizable lead in polls of Republican voters.
The governor's attempts to dethrone Trump have floundered in recent weeks. DeSantis's second-quarter campaign finance report showed $20 million raised, but a majority of donors have maxed out on financial contributions. The campaign burned through $8 million and has $12 million cash on hand. Also not helping DeSantis: His campaign fired 38 staffers last week, roughly a third of his team.
Results from the first New York Times/Siena College poll of the 2024 cycle on Monday showed DeSantis trailing Trump by 37 percentage points. Republican voters back Trump by 54% compared to only 17% who support DeSantis, a factor that complicates the governor's attempt to solidify himself as the top non-Trump 2024 candidate. However, the poll also showed that no other 2024 GOP hopeful received above 3% support.
Aides signaled that DeSantis's speech on Monday will be "a key cornerstone of DeSantis’s campaign as he ramps up his insurgent message."
DeSantis himself touted his leadership of Florida during the pandemic when he bucked the advice of national leaders, including Anthony Fauci, then director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who urged states to implement lockdowns. "Leadership matters. We showed how to get it done. We beat the elites. We showed the way forward to restore freedom and opportunity for people all throughout this country. And I will fight as president for the American people just like we fought for the people of Florida," he said.
"We are the number one most desired state to move to anywhere in the country. That's just a fact," he later added during a question-and-answer portion when his speech was finished.
During the speech, DeSantis declared he would undo President Joe Biden's economic plans, including pressuring Americans to buy electric vehicles. "Biden's job crippling and ideological regulations and executive orders will be reversed by me on day one," he said.
Although DeSantis appears to be moving away from cultural issues on the campaign trail, he did criticize the "indoctrination" of children in schools. "We need our schools from K-12 through university to focus on education, not indoctrination," he said.
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He also condemned student loan forgiveness, arguing that "it's wrong to say that a truck driver should have to pay off the debt of somebody who got a degree in gender studies. This is not the taxpayers that should have to do that."
DeSantis argued that he will fight for American families if he is elected president next year. "I want a country where Americans that work hard, Americans that get the most out of their God-given ability, are able to get ahead in this country," he said. "They're able to raise a family and they're able to lead fulfilling and productive lives. And if we can't get that right, then we are not going to succeed as a country."