DeSantis proposed a plan to “rip the rising men out of the military.”
President Joe Biden’s campaign on Tuesday criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ culture war platform as a “planned political stunt,” his first on-the-record comments about the Republican presidential nominee.
In a speech in South Carolina, DeSantis laid out a plan to “rip the vigilantes out of the military” by, in part, eliminating any groups focused on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, banning racial and gender quotas and banning drag shows on bases.
“We’re in a situation right now where we see the military going down a very different path,” DeSantis said. “An army commanded by civil authorities to pursue a political ideology.”
Lately, however, DeSantis said During an interview on CNN Many people are unfamiliar with the word “woke” and don’t know how to define it.
“Well, but I think there’s a problem with that — not everyone knows what awakening is,” DeSantis said after presenting a survey of the military that found “awakening” was not the number one concern of service members. “I mean, I defined it, but a lot of people who fought the awakening couldn’t define it.”
The Biden campaign seized on the Florida governor’s comments.
“Ron DeSantis himself told CNN that ‘not everyone knows what awareness really is’ — admitting that his signature campaign issue was a deliberate political stunt,” Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz told ABC News.
“If Ron DeSantis really cared about the military, he would call on Sen. Tuberville to stop the unprecedented damage he is doing to the armed forces and military families by blocking hundreds of military appointments and promotions,” Munoz said.
For months, Sen. Rep. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., blocked it.
Struggling to advance in the Republican presidential primary against former President Donald Trump, DeSantis finished No. 2 in the early polls, making “woke” ideology a cornerstone of his gubernatorial campaign.
“Florida is the place to wake and die,” DeSantis said, repeating the message before audiences across the country. However, Democrats believe they can win it.
“This is testament to the big problem MAGA Republicans face in this race,” Munoz added. “They have a deeply unpopular agenda that Americans have repeatedly rejected, and instead, they’re recycling the same divisive culture wars and attacks on foundational liberties to tear Americans apart.”
