In a new policy plan unveiled Monday, Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis took aim at China with a “Declaration of Economic Independence” that also targets taxes, regulations and “elites” he blames for the nation’s decline.
Speaking in a New Hampshire warehouse, the Florida governor promised to diversify and expand the economy by fighting for the middle class.
"Revitalizing economic freedom and opportunity will require building an economy where the concerns of average citizens are elevated over those deemed too big to fail,” he said at Prep Partners Group, which coordinates warehousing, distribution and other logistics for other companies.
“We are a nation with an economy, not the other way around,” DeSantis said. “We are citizens of a republic. We are not cogs in a global economic empire.”
DeSantis said his top priority would be wresting economic control from China by ending the nation’s preferential trade status, banning imports of goods made from stolen intellectual property and preventing companies from sharing critical technologies with China. Current polices, he said, have created an “abusive relationship” between the two countries.
“The elites sold us a bill of goods when it came to China. They were wrong, and we need to get it right,” he said.
The 10-point economic plan is the third major policy proposal put forth by DeSantis, who remains a distant second to former President Donald Trump in most polls and is fighting for momentum in the midst of a campaign reset. He recently shed more than one-third of his staff as federal filings showed his campaign was burning through cash at an unsustainable rate.
But on Monday, his focus was on reckless federal government spending. His plan describes him as a “new sheriff in town” who will veto wasteful spending and mandate work requirements for welfare programs. He also claimed he could achieve 3% annual economic growth by keeping taxes low, eliminating bureaucracy and incentivizing investment.
On the education front, DeSantis said he will stop incentivizing “useless degrees” by making universities responsible for the loans their students accrue.
“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,” he said.
After the speech, in what was billed as a news conference, DeSantis sidestepped a question about Trump’s mounting legal fees. That’s even as the DeSantis campaign has been attacking Trump for devoting much of his political fundraising to his legal entanglements.
“We’re here to talk about restoring this economy. We’re here to talk about uplifting the middle class,” DeSantis said. “To me, if you ask voters, are they more interested in hearing about that or the process stories about politics? I think that they want to hear about the country’s future so that’s what we’re going to talk about.”
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39 Comments
EFD
Rock star Ron-Ron has a basic problem in that he is an unlikable jerk and the more people get to know him, the less they like him and his anti-democratic policies.
It's not economics. It's him.
He is this cycle's Fred Tompson
EFD
On the up-side, he looks to have lost about 20lbs so at least the Ozempic didn't go to waste. Maybe he can become a spokesman. "I'm Rock-star Ronnie and I lost 20 lbs and any shred of credibility I ever had on Ozempic. Ask your Dr. if Ozempic is right for you!"
(May cause bowel obstructions, Constipation and extreme nausea. Loss of moral compass and becoming the object of public derision is also a known side-effect. Call your Dr. immediately if you become a xenophobe or a racist as these effects may doom your political career."
bass4funk
Actually, it is about economics, but I do think he should have waited until 2028, but he was pushed into joining this race, the guy is a fantastic governor, why ruin all that? The Trump hating Republican establishment sadly, are ruining this guy, this is what greed does, it makes you lose sight of the bigger goals.
Far, far from that. Lol
wallace
Trump called for everyone to stand down but that won't happen.
Blacklabel
should have waited until 2028.
Now he (and Pence and Christie) get to join the Mitt Romney/John McCain perpetual losers club.
GBR48
Being second to Trump isn't so bad if Trump ends up in prison, as he wins by default.
If DeSantis bans the US and its allies from anything Chinese, they will lose access to many of the core resources they needs to function economically (or transition to a greener economy). And forced labour (as workfare) is a really bad idea. Like the Tories in the UK, he is targeting non-STEM degrees to force people to replace migrant workers instead. That's a really bad plan too.
Right wing populists love taking a wrecking ball to things. It fails and they slink off blaming others. Then everyone else has to clear up the mess they made for years to come.
He's not selling a viable alternative, just snake oil - like every other politician out there. None of them know anything about how people function, or about how economies work. They just want us all to follow their idiot ideology down a blind alley whilst they accidentally make a stash of cash.
EFD
No, it’s not. Even his goober rubes don’t know where he stands.
Bobble-head Ronnie is getting the ass-kicking of a lifetime because he’s an impersonal unlikeable jerk as evidenced by him whining about the health of foods at the Iowa State Fair.
The state food is deep fried butter (no, I’m not making that up.) it’s not healthy. Everyone knows this but Florida “man”.
It’s almost comical to watch.
dagon
The same trickle down grift plus workfare. That has led to decades of stagnant wages and chasms of wealth inequality and lower standards of living.
The Freedom Caucus worked to get corporate taxes down to 16%.
https://www.epi.org/publication/ib364-corporate-tax-rates-and-economic-growth/
Eisenhower supported a 90 percent max rate and there was broad based propserity.
Superlib
Who?
bass4funk
And now this administration literally crushed the middle class and small businesses and the entrepreneurial working spirit. How’s that helping?
yes.
Different time, different country, a comic in those days were 10 cents, this is 2023
Strangerland
By already creating more jobs in two years than any president ever did in four? Weird conclusion you've got.
lincolnman
Indeed - all thanks to the guy that called him 'Ron DeSoros", a "RINO phony", a "Globalist sellout", some who has filled Florida with "misery and despair" making it "one of the worst states in the US"....and he's also a "Groomer"....
https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/21/donald-trump-says-ron-desantis-created-misery-and-despair-in-florida/70139811007/
Just wait until 2028 so we can replay all those quotes from the Ultra MAGA King...maybe he'll even come up with some new ones...from his cell at Leavenworth...
Trump has sunk DeSantis...and as they say, you can't raise the Titanic...
Blacklabel
People went back to work after COVID.
That job creation nonsense has been fact checked and debunked over and over.
EFD
From jobs lost under Trump.
And now, with them all back at work, the jobs boom continues.
Unemployment is the lowest it has been in 50 years even with record labor participation.
And real wages are up.
Joe did that. Not your boy.
EFD
Fact checked as true, but you conveniently left that part out, lol.
Strangerland
You mean there hasn't been more jobs added to the economy in the past two years than any other president was able to do in four years? It's a lie? Is it the MSM? It must be a conspiracy, since they provided numbers, is this like that time the dirty libs stole election from Trump?
Jimizo
I just saw a Rasmussen poll ( very popular with conservatives who enjoy cherry-picking polls ) which has Biden’s approval rating up at 47%.
It is of course very bad form and dishonest to cherry-pick polls, but this might be worth keeping an eye on.
2020hindsights
bass4funk
The same trickle down grift plus workfare. That has led to decades of stagnant wages and chasms of wealth inequality and lower standards of living.
Unemployment is down. There are record job created. Growth figures are higher than expected. Inflation is down. I say keep going!
lincolnman
Thanks Buddy!
I wholeheartedly agree with you - DeSantis is a "Loser" the same as Christie and Pence...
Only fools would vote for this "Phony RINO Groomer"...
Blacklabel
yep, so we agree the nominee will be Trump.
and Joe is historically unpopular so, there is that concern for Team Dem.
So to even care about DeSantis (or anyone else) at all at this point is well....pointless.
Strangerland
It's a dirty lie by the Dems left-wing deep-state MSM. We MAGA know the truth, beyond all reasonable facts and evidence. Stop telling us your Dem lies.
We all know Trump won in 2020. Blacklabel and I swear it on our lives.
Blacklabel
Yep, independents. thanks for reminding.
https://themessenger.com/politics/trump-edges-ahead-of-biden-in-new-poll-exclusive
lincolnman
I hope so...who wouldn't want to run against a guy facing over 100 criminal counts on four indictments...
And Trump is off to jail, so that is a BIG CONCERN for the Repubs...
Hey, I was just agreeing with your post - you said he's a "Loser' just like Christie and Pence...
"Now he (and Pence and Christie) get to join the Mitt Romney/John McCain perpetual losers club."
dagon
DeSantis offers no new ideas. As usual when he talks like all the other Republicans about "incentivization" , middle class tax cuts and the "job creator entrepreneurial spirit" it means this:
https://perfectunion.us/ron-desantis-corporate-corruption-scandal-exposed/
More of the same corporate and 1% tax breaks and corporate welfare.
Strangerland
Yes Trump has won ALL the independents with our insurrection. He definitely has more independents in our corner than when Biden won... er... stole the election in 2020!
Jimizo
Not according to Rasmussen which was the go to for conservatives who enjoy cherry-picking polls. I was told it was the most reliable by conservatives. Other polls were apparently leftist, maybe ‘woke’ or whatever.
Anyway, cherry-picking polls is very dishonest.
Still, I’d keep an eye on these polls. The economy isn’t in too bad a shape.
I hope you are not cherry-picking polls again.
bass4funk
Tell that to China.
You mean the jobs that people already had and now that the pandemic is over returning back to them or are you talking about the Baby Boomers retiring in record numbers bringing unemployment numbers down as well or are you talking about the people that couldn’t find jobs and have moved back home?
So on it’s face and not scrutinizing the numbers, it would look like you said.
Not for the black community and open borders is not helping them either.
That’s why so many businesses in the food and beverage field are shutting down, increased wages.
He sure did, he sure did, something to remember when going into 2024.
Blacklabel
nope. the most recent, highly legitimate poll.
you would know if you bothered to open the link.
bass4funk
Neither does this entire administration.
Well, democrats are always talking about redistribution of other peoples wealth, since they have complete and utter failed policies and progressively go after people that worked hard and make money, they rob Paul to give to Peter, and think that will last indefinitely.
OK, so you don’t want CEOs to pay the employees better benefits, and better wages, or even expand their businesses, and helps Bezos.
Strangerland
I missed the link, I'm assuming it was the truthtellers, Fox News. Or Newsmax, right? Anyone else would be left-wing deep state, right brother!
bass4funk
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/28/politics/fact-check-biden-economic-speech-january-2023/index.html
Yeah, keep going!!!!
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/594046-black-voters-are-fleeing-biden-in-droves-heres-why/
Jimizo
Sounds a bit like cherry-picking.
You were a big fan of Rasmussen polls in the past.
What do you think of their most recent poll showing Biden on the rise to 47%?
lincolnman
Blacklabel: DeSantis is a "Loser" just like Pence and Christie.....
Bass4funk: DeSantis is a "rockstar".....
So, who's right?
Blacklabel
outlier.
his overall is only 41%.
Strangerland
How can you libs not realize that Ruasmussen is only trustworthy when they publish truthful polls about Trump winnning in 2020.
Right brother blacklabel? We MAGA know the truth!
bass4funk
I like both men.
Jimizo
Yes, but conservatives often quoted Rasmussen as the most reliable poll. I remember it well when they had Trump higher than the average.
Is that trust in Rasmussen now gone? Is the average now the best way to go?
Is it a fluid thing?
lincolnman
I didn't mention "both men" - I said you think DeSantis is a "rockstar" and Black thinks he's clearly a "Loser" the same as Pence and Christie...
So, are you right or is Black?
bass4funk
He thinks how he wants and so will I.