周三，佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯在接受美国广播公司新闻直播(ABC News Live)首席主播林西·戴维斯(Linsey Davis)的广泛采访时，试图将自己与前总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)进行对比希望赶上失败于2024年共和党初选——同时针对外界对他竞选活动的批评为自己辩护，并谈到他对南部边界和其他问题的计划。
他还回应了特朗普攻击他在他的州签署了为期六周的堕胎禁令。(更多在这里.)
德桑蒂斯在德克萨斯州米德兰的一个石油钻井平台上与戴维斯坐在一起，然后他在记者和石油工人面前推出了他提议的总统能源政策。
关于特朗普:“我们有很多分歧”
当被要求将自己与民调中领先的共和党初选候选人特朗普区分开来时，德桑蒂斯指出，他的成长经历与特朗普不同。
“我是一个蓝领工人，不得不做最低工资的工作，才有了今天的成就，”他说，然后列举了其他不同之处。
“我可以连任两届。从第一天起，他就成了跛脚鸭。在我最近的佛罗里达站比赛中，我比他多跑了16分。他说:“我也比这个国家的任何人都更好地实现了这些‘美国第一’的政策，如果我当选总统，我会有更好的机会来真正实现这些政策。”。
“所以我认为人们可以看到很多东西，但我会去那里。”
这位州长对特朗普预计将缺席下周在加利福尼亚州举行的共和党初选辩论发表了尖锐的言论。
“嗯，首先，他欠人们在那里。他欠人们一个理由来为自己的记录辩护。你不能就这样不出现在这些事情上，”德桑蒂斯说。
特朗普表示，鉴于他的领先地位，他认为没有理由参加。他经常嘲笑德桑蒂斯，包括在个人方面，并表示他更有能力执行共和党的关键优先事项。
2023年9月16日，在爱荷华州得梅因，共和党总统候选人佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯在爱荷华州信仰和自由联盟的秋季宴会上发表讲话。
布莱恩·霍尔格雷夫/美联社
共和党大捐助者退出初选
当戴维斯问及共和党主要捐助者兼Citadel首席执行官肯·格里芬退出2024年总统初选时，德桑蒂斯淡化了富裕捐助者在竞选中的作用，格里芬表示，他对特朗普的共和党总统候选人没有印象。
格里芬是德桑蒂斯2022年竞选连任最重要的捐助者之一，他提到州长目前与迪士尼的不和是一个令人担忧的问题。
德桑蒂斯说他不是受大捐赠者的指使。
“我是领导者，不是追随者，”他说。“所以我们领导，我们做我们认为正确的事情，人们可以支持我们，也可以不支持我们。但你不应该试图取悦非常富有的捐赠者，我从来没有这样做过。”
戴维斯就格里芬批评他不了解自己的竞选战略和他试图吸引的选民基础一事向德桑蒂斯施压，德桑蒂斯反驳说，他的战略很明确——他是在为选民展示。
“这些早期州的选民非常认真地对待他们的责任，”德桑蒂斯说。“他们想了解你的所作所为。他们想了解你，了解你将为这个国家做些什么，所以我们正在这样做，并将继续这样做。”
“我们在传递信息。当我们这样做时，我们取得了巨大的成功。我们有更多的工作要做，因为有更多的人要见，但我们对我们的进展感到满意，”他说。
边境的致命力量?
德桑蒂斯主张枪决试图携带毒品穿越南部边境的贩毒集团成员，鉴于其他移民也穿越边境，这一提议引起了人道主义和法律问题倡导者的强烈抗议。
他告诉戴维斯，美国军队将能够区分毒品走私者和其他移民。
当被问到时，他说:“就像你对任何事情都会说的一样。”。
“例如，我以前在伊拉克服役。基地组织不穿制服。你知道，典型的阿拉伯男性会穿上男式服装。你不知道他们身上是否绑了炸弹。他们带着AK-47，普通的平民都会，所以你甚至不能说他们有没有，”他说。
“所以你必须做出决定——你能通过敌对行动或敌对意图肯定地认定某人是敌对的吗?然后你这样做，即使在美国，任何人都会这样做。所以你会这么做，我们会收集情报。”
当被问及在边境部署军队是否会导致“混乱”时，这位州长说，“现在就是导致混乱的原因。”
“这个国家正在发生的事情是一个问题，”他补充道。
我们完全有权利反击迪士尼
德桑蒂斯无视共和党初选对手对他与美国广播公司新闻母公司迪士尼公开斗争的批评，强调他认为这场斗争“是关于孩子的”
“我将为捍卫这些政策而斗争，”他谈到《教育中的父母权利法案》(Parental Rights in Education Act)时说，该法案限制了许多K-12教室中对性别认同和性行为的讨论。
批评者试图给这项立法贴上“不要说同性恋”的标签，认为它是歧视性的。支持者说这是关于禁止在学校讨论不适合年龄的话题。
迪士尼表示反对这项法律，这引起了德桑蒂斯的愤怒。
在德桑蒂斯的支持下，州议会继续撤销特别税收区，该税收区基本上允许迪士尼管理其着名的奥兰多主题公园周围的地区——这是一种例外，虽然这是政府为各种实体做的标准，但德桑蒂斯认为这是不必要的特权。
这家企业集团后来起诉了德桑蒂斯，并指控州政府官员针对他们的政治观点发起了一场运动，这场运动“明显是报复性的，明显是反商业的，明显是违宪的。”该诉讼仍悬而未决。
德桑蒂斯拒绝了迪士尼的说法，他告诉戴维斯，共和党人叫他出来是选错了一边。
“这有点像保守的共和党人，他们基本上总是向强大的大公司屈膝。你必须坚持正确的事情。所以我会永远支持我们的孩子，”他说。
“我认为迪士尼在做他们正在做的事情时犯了一个错误。但是，我们完全有权利反击和捍卫我们的政策，反对那些试图破坏这些政策的人。“这是正确的做法。”
德桑蒂斯不允许联邦资金用于COVID注射
本月早些时候，德桑蒂斯政府建议不要为65岁以下的佛罗里达州居民更新新冠肺炎，这违反了建议6个月或以上任何人更新疫苗的联邦指南。
在美国广播公司新闻直播节目(ABC News Live Prime)上被问及如果他当选总统，他是否会推动同样的政策时，德桑蒂斯表示，他不会允许联邦政府资助新冠肺炎疫苗，参与联邦政府应对疫情的人将对他所坚持的旨在减少大范围感染和死亡的有害限制性公共卫生措施负责。
“我们将对所有这些COVID政策进行评估。我们将追究那些犯错的人、坚持封锁的人、坚持关闭学校的人的责任，”德桑蒂斯说。
公共卫生官员已经明确表示，新冠肺炎疫苗和每年的流感疫苗一样，旨在降低严重疾病和死亡的风险，并已被证明。食品药品监督管理局和疾病控制和预防中心的独立科学顾问表示，利大于弊。
更新的疫苗基于已经保护了全世界数亿人的相同疫苗，并针对当前传播的亚变异体进行了更新。
接种疫苗导致心肌炎的风险已被证明是罕见的，更不可能是新冠肺炎疫苗。
德桑蒂斯公布能源政策
周三，德桑蒂斯还公布了他的能源政策，他计划专注于建立美国的“主导地位”，取消乔·拜登总统政府的能源和气候政策，重点是化石燃料。
但在他担任州长的早期，德桑蒂斯政府资助了支持电动汽车的项目，州长表示，这些项目来自大众汽车的一项和解协议，该协议规定了资金的去向。
“我要么使用它，要么失去它。这就是我们这么做的原因。我们建设了充电站，但我绝不会支持强制生产电动汽车，”德桑蒂斯说。
他的新能源计划包括重组能源基础设施项目的审查程序，以及让美国退出所有削减温室气体排放的全球承诺。
在接受美国广播公司采访时，德桑蒂斯详细阐述了他的目标，即把汽油价格降到每加仑2美元。根据美国汽车协会的数据，截至目前，汽油价格接近每加仑4美元。
德桑蒂斯说:“能源主导地位——利用我们拥有的资源，这是降低加油站价格的一种方式，但这会伤害到人们。”。
有争议的黑人历史标准背后的学者是专业人士
德桑蒂斯为佛罗里达州黑人历史标准中的语言辩护，该标准指导中学生应该学习被奴役的人“发展的技能，在某些情况下，可以用于他们的个人利益。”
这句话招致了南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特(Tim Scott)的指责，斯科特是德桑蒂斯在共和党提名中的竞争对手，是一名黑人。
“奴隶制的真正含义是分离家庭，残害人类，甚至强奸他们的妻子。这简直是毁灭性的，”斯科特在7月份说。“所以我希望我们国家的每一个人——当然也包括竞选总统的人——都能理解这一点。”
当戴维斯问及为什么“试图向学生教授奴隶制有任何好处的概念有任何价值”时，德桑蒂斯说，“我们没有这样做。”
“我们不这么认为。这不是该条款的意思。他说，并指出这些标准是“由一批黑人历史学者撰写的，其中大部分是黑人。”
“这并不是说奴隶制受益。据说这些人足智多谋。他们做他们不被允许做的事情，发展技能，然后使用。所以他们不顾奴隶制，而不是因为奴隶制才这么做的，”他说。
“这些人都是专业人士，”州长在谈到创建标准的学者时说。“他们没有参与政治。他们只是被告知要做标准，而且他们做得很好。”
DeSantis talks Trump, Black history, Disney, state of GOP primary and more
In a wide-ranging interview on Wednesday with ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought to contrast himself with former President Donald Trump -- whom DeSantishopes to catch up toand defeat inthe 2024 Republican primary race-- while defending himself against outside criticism of his campaign and speaking about his plan for the southern border and other issues.
He also responded to Trump attacking him for signing a six-week abortion ban in his state. (More here.)
DeSantis sat down with Davis at the site of an oil rig in Midland, Texas, before he rolled out his proposed presidential energy policy in front of reporters and oil workers.
On Trump: 'We have a lot of differences'
Asked to differentiate himself from Trump, the leading GOP primary candidate in polls, DeSantis pointed to his upbringing compared with Trump's.
"I'm a blue-collar kid that had to work minimum wage jobs to get where I was," he said, before rattling off other differences.
"I could serve two terms. He would be a lame duck on day one. I ran 16 points better than him in Florida in my most recent race than he did in his most recent race. I've also delivered on these 'America first' policies more than I think anybody in the country and would have a much better chance of actually delivering all this as president," he said.
"So I think that there are a lot of things that people can look at, but I'm going to be there."
The governor had sharp words for Trump's expected absence at next week's Republican primary debate, in California.
"Well, first, he owes it to people to be there. He owes it to people to make the case and defend his record. You can't be just not showing up to these things," DeSantis said.
Trump has indicated he sees no reason to attend, given his lead. He has often derided DeSantis, including in personal terms, and said he's better able to carry out key Republican priorities.
DeSantis on GOP megadonor sitting out primary
DeSantis played down the role of wealthy donors in his campaign when asked by Davis about major Republican donor and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin sitting out the 2024 presidential primary, with Griffin saying he's not impressed with any of the alternative Republican presidential candidates to Trump.
Griffin, who was one of DeSantis' most prominent donors for his 2022 reelection campaign, cited the governor's current feud with Disney as a point of concern.
DeSantis said that he's not at the behest of large donors.
"I'm a leader, I'm not a follower," he said. "So we lead and we do what we think is right and people can support us or not support us financially. But you should not be led by trying to please very wealthy donors, and I've never operated that way."
Pressed by Davis about Griffin's criticism of not understanding his campaign strategy and the voting base he's trying to appeal to, DeSantis pushed back, arguing that his strategy is clear -- he's showing up for voters.
"These voters in these early states take their responsibility very seriously," DeSantis said. "They want to learn about what you've done. They want to learn about you, what you're going to do for the country and so we're doing that and we're going to continue to do that."
"We're delivering the message. When we do that, we have a great deal of success. We've got a lot more work to do because there's a lot more people to meet, but we're pleased with our progress," he said.
Deadly force at the border?
DeSantis has advocated for shooting members of drug cartels who try to bring drugs across the southern border -- a proposal that has drawn sharp outcry from advocates over humanitarian and legal concerns given the number of other migrants who also make the crossing.
He told Davis that U.S. forces would be able to differentiate a drug smuggler from other migrants.
"The same way you would tell for anything," he said, when asked.
"For example, I served in Iraq back in the day. al-Qaida didn't wear uniforms. You know, the typical Arab male would have had the man dress on. You didn't know if they had a bomb strapped to them or not. They carry around the AK-47s, normal civilians would, so you couldn't even say if they had," he said.
"So you had to make a determination -- can you positively identify somebody as hostile through either hostile action or hostile intent? And then you do it, same way anyone would do that even in the United States. So you will do that, we'll be collecting intelligence."
Asked whether staging the military at the border would be a "recipe for chaos," the governor said, "Right now is the recipe for chaos."
"What is happening in this country is a problem," he added.
'We have every right to push back' against Disney
DeSantis brushed off criticism from me Republican primary rivals about his public battle with Disney, the parent company of ABC News, stressing that he feels the fight "is about kids."
"I'm going to fight to defend those policies," he said of the Parental Rights in Education Act, a bill limiting the discussion of gender identity and sexuality in many K-12 classrooms.
Critics have sought to label the legislation as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, contending it is discriminatory. Supporters say it's about barring age-inappropriate topics in school.
Disney expressed opposition to the law, drawing DeSantis' ire.
The state Legislature, with DeSantis' support, went on to revoke the special tax district that essentially allowed Disney to govern the area around its famed Orlando theme parks -- a carve-out that, while standard for governments to do for various entities, DeSantis described as unnecessary privilege.
The conglomerate later sued DeSantis and accused state officials of a campaign against them for their political views that is "patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional." The suit is still pending.
DeSantis has rejected Disney's claims and he told Davis that Republicans calling him out for the feud were picking the wrong side.
"That's kind of the old-guard Republicans where they basically always just bend the knee to the big, powerful corporations. You've got to stand for what's right. So I'm always going to stand for our kids," he said.
"I think Disney made a mistake in doing what they're doing. But we have every right to push back and defend our policies against those who are seeking to undermine them," he said. "And that was the right thing to do."
DeSantis would not allow federal funding for COVID shots
Earlier this month, DeSantis's administration advised against the updated COVID-19 for Florida residents under the age of 65, which goes against federal guidelines that recommend updated shots for anyone 6 months or older.
Asked on ABC News Live Prime if he would push the same policy if he were elected president, DeSantis said he wouldn't allow federal funding for COVID-19 vaccines and that people involved in the federal response to the pandemic would be held accountable for what he maintained were harmfully restrictive public health measures intended to cut widespread infections and deaths.
"We're going to have a reckoning about all these COVID policies. We're going to hold people accountable who got it wrong, people that clung to the lockdowns, people that clung to the school closures," DeSantis said.
Public health officials have made it clear that the COVID-19 vaccines, like the annual flu shot, are intended and have proven to lower the risk of severe illness and death. Independent scientific advisers to the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the benefits outweigh the risks.
The updated vaccines are based on the same vaccines that have protected hundreds of millions of people around the world and are updated to address the current circulating subvariants.
The risk of myocarditis from vaccination has been shown to be uncommon and much less likely from a COVID-19 vaccination.
DeSantis unveils energy policy
On Wednesday, DeSantis also unveiled his energy policy, where he plans to focus on building up American "dominance" and undoing the energy and climate policies of President Joe Biden's administration, with a heavy emphasis on fossil fuels.
But early on in his time as governor, DeSantis' administration funded programs supporting electric vehicles, which the governor said came from a settlement from Volkswagen that dictated where the money could go.
"I could either use it or lose it. So that's why we did it. We put in the charging stations, but I would never support mandating the production of EVs," DeSantis said.
His new energy plans include restructuring the review process for energy infrastructure projects and withdrawing the U.S. from all global commitments to cut greenhouse emissions.
During his interview with ABC News, DeSantis expanded on his goal to get the cost of gas to $2 per gallon. As of now, gas is nearly $4 per gallon, according to AAA.
"Energy dominance - using the resources we have, that is one way to reduce prices at the pump, which is hurting people," DeSantis said.
Scholars behind controversial Black History standards 'were professionals'
DeSantis defended the language in Florida's Black History standards that directs middle school students should be taught enslaved people "developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit."
The language drew rebukes from, among others, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, DeSantis' rival for the Republican nomination who is Black.
“What slavery was really about was separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives. It was just devastating,” Scott said in July. “So I would hope that every person in our country -- and certainly running for president -- would appreciate that.”
Asked by Davis why "there's any value to try to teach a concept to students that there was any upside to slavery," DeSantis said, "We're not doing that."
"We don't think that. And that's not what that provision means. That's not how it's being taught," he said, noting that the standards were "written by a cadre of Black history scholars, most of whom were Black."
"It was not saying that slavery benefited. It was saying that these folks were resourceful. They did things they weren't allowed to do, develop skills and then use. So they did it in spite of slavery, not because of it," he said.
"These guys were professionals," the governor said of the scholars who created the standard. "They didn't have political involvement. They just were told to do standards and they did it right."
Click hereto read the transcriptfrom the interview as aired on ABC News Live Prime on Wednesday.
