Fox News "The Story" - Transcript: Interview with Rep. Ron DeSantis

Interview

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MACCALLUM: Now let's go over to Representative Ron DeSantis, also a Florida gubernatorial candidate. Congressman DeSantis, good to have you with us this evening. You saw the poll numbers that we put up there, why do you think that is?

REP. RON DESANTIS, R-FLA.: Well, Martha, my opponent has got a lot of special interest money. They've been raining down, I think $11 million over the last three months. I've just now started our ad campaign. Obviously we got the endorsement by the president. He had tweeted for me in December which was great, but a lot of people I wasn't even a candidate then. A lot of people don't even remember that.

So this is a fresh reminder that the president of the United States has identified me as a guy who would be the best leader for the State of Florida. And if you look around the country there are very few, if nay primaries, contested primaries with no incumbent where the president has been willing to do that.

And so I think that's a testament to the leadership I've demonstrated in my time in the Congress, as well as in the military and back from McKay (Ph) in Florida. So, I'm very honored to have his support and I think that your debate is going to be a focal point where people start to really focus and really scrutinize the candidates going forward.

MACCALLUM: Yes. Leaping so, too, it has had that impact in the past so we are looking very much forward to doing it. Tell me what you think the defining issue is between you and Adam Putman?

DESANTIS: Well, I'm an Iraq veteran, I have a proven conservative record and I'm endorsed by Donald Trump. I think Commissioner Putnam has been in office since he was 22 years old. He is a career politician, he is an insider transactional type Republican. I'm a principled conservative and I think Florida voters are much more in sync with them in terms of what they want to see.

I mean, Adam Putnam he supported the Wall Street bailout. He supported Obama's cash for clunkers. He supported the Obama-Schumer immigration amnesty which was the biggest amnesty in history would have lowered wages for Americans. I was not for any of those things.

And so are you in touch with what Florida voters want, and I think my record is, and I think he has not been.

MACCALLUM: So in terms of, obviously you both have to be the candidate, and to win in this primary there is five -- it's a very crowded Democratic field on the other side. In terms of running against that person if you get that privilege to do that, who do you think is going to be and how will you run against them?

DESANTIS: I have no idea who it's going to be. I think it's a total Charlie foxtrot over there and I like watching it because I hope they tear each other apart.

But here's the issue, Martha. We need to build up the success that Governor Scott has had, and really cement Florida as the place to be for job creation, for education reform.

And then, we're talking about Justice Kennedy the next governor in all likelihood is going to get to replace three liberal state Supreme Court justices. I am the most well qualified to be able to do that.

If the Democrats want to run on turning us into Illinois or New York, let them try to do that. Florida voters do not want that.

MACCALLUM: All right. General, thank you very much. To both of you. We'll give Mr. Putnam a chance tomorrow night to respond to some of those things that you laid out there, and we're glad you're both here. We're very much looking forward to it. Thanks to you guys.

DESANTIS: Thanks.

MACCALLUM: Thank you very much, gentlemen.

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