Florida Governor Ron DeSantis commented on his strategy to handle cartel operatives on the nation's southern border if he is elected President of the United States in 2024.
During a Tuesday evening interview with CBS' Norah O'Donnell, the Florida governor said he would use deadly force to stop cartel members from entering the United States through the nation's southern border.
“We are going to lean in and we are going to defend our country,” DeSantis said, noting he had previously seen sections of the border wall being repaired in Arizona after cartel members cut through. "We will have deadly force authorized."
When O’Donnell asked if he would "send missiles" into Mexico, the Florida governor said "tactics can be debated," though reiterated the severity of cartel members entering the United States.
"They are overrunning our border, they're sex trafficking, they're human trafficking, and they're bringing in massive quantities of drugs," the Florida governor said. "Our country is being invaded and hurt by what they're doing."
"The question is: do we just throw up our hands and do we say there's nothing we can do about it or does a leader take action?"
"I'm gonna have the military at the border 100%," DeSantis reiterated.
O'Donnell pushed back by suggesting he would "shoot migrants coming across the border," to which DeSantis corrected her statement.
"Cartel members. You have to identify them as being hostile," he responded, adding "if there's a woman with a baby, they're not a cartel member."
"There’s not going to be authorization to just shoot somebody like that,” DeSantis said. “But when somebody’s got a backpack on and they’re in there breaking through the wall, you know, that’s hostile intent, and you have every right to take action under those circumstances.”
DeSantis suggested only a few instances of employing deadly force would curb cartel members' tactics on the southern border.
The Florida governor and O'Donnell also discussed his view that war with China could be prevented "through strength" and he would support the United States' defense of Taiwan if China should invade.
DeSantis also noted the age of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, who are both seeking re-election in 2024, saying the presidency wasn't a job for someone in their 80s. Governor DeSantis also said he believed the founders would have included age limits on elected offices — a reference to the average age of Washington D.C. lawmakers.
"I think there's a lot of Americans that are gonna want to see a generational passing of the torch," he said.
