Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to cut gas prices by half of their current amount after his first year in the Oval Office if elected.
“Relief at the Pump”
“We want to give people relief at the pump. Gas is almost $4 a gallon nationally. In 2025 we’re shooting for $2 a gallon, and that means you’ve got to let people do their jobs,” DeSantis said on the Fox Business Network’s “Varney & Co.“
DeSantis said his plan would “embrace the resources that we have both in terms of hydrocarbons but also in terms of having an auto industry that makes sense.”
“We’re going to get rid of the EV mandates so that people can buy the cars they want, and we are going to do things that are going to benefit us in terms of national security. (Joe) Biden’s energy policy benefits China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela. We are going to restore energy dominance; we’re going to be so dominant that all those hostile regimes are going to have a disadvantage. And that’s, I think, what the American people want.”
Plummeting in Polls
The New Hampshire presidential primary is the first of nationwide party primary elections. The latest poll from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center finds DeSantis in fifth place in the Granite State.
Former President Donald Trump leads the crowded Republican field with 39% support, with Vivek Ramaswamy (13%), Nikki Haley (12%), Chris Christie (11%), and DeSantis (10%) trailing among the 845 Primary voters polled.
DeSantis, who became known for high-profile culture wars in the Sunshine State, entered the race with the message that he is the top Republican who can beat Donald Trump. Although DeSantis initially had polled in the second, yet-distant place, he has recently dropped in national polls.
Nationally, DeSantis has just 13 percent of support, 46 points behind Former President Donald Trump and three points ahead of businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, according to the Sept. 19 Morning Consult poll.
Donor Trouble
Ken Griffin, the Republican billionaire who was the biggest donor to the Florida governor’s 2022 re-election campaign, still hasn’t committed to supporting DeSantis’ Presidential campaign.
“First-term governor – just a phenomenal job,” Griffin said about DeSantis. “But that hasn’t been how these last few months have played out.”
“The ongoing battle with Disney I think is pointless. In fact, it doesn’t reflect well on the ethos of Florida.” Although Griffin has expressed his antipathy to Trump, he said he hasn’t yet decided what candidate to support in 2024.
Wants to Increase American “Dominance”
While speaking in Midland, Texas on Sept. 20, DeSantis unveiled his energy plan for the U.S., saying he would focus on building up American “dominance” while seeking to do away with the policies of the Biden’s administration, as he blamed the president for the rising gas prices.
DeSantis’ plan includes opposition to federal policies to redirect the auto industry toward manufacturing more electric vehicles; withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement to counteract the warming of the Earth and streamlining the environmental review process for energy and infrastructure projects.
Focus on Border Security
Texas has been central to the Florida governor’s presidential campaign messaging beyond oil while focusing on border security.
DeSantis, like several other Republican candidates, also promised to use military action in Mexico to combat cartels.
But DeSants continues to struggle in Texas polls. Donald Trump is ahead of the Florida Governor in the state, 61% to 10%, among the 406 likely voters surveyed by CWS Research, according to Defend Texas Liberty PAC Texas Statewide 2024 Likely Republican Labor Day Issue Poll.
DeSantis was at 13% in July, 19% in June, and 23% in May, which shows the governor has lost more than half his support in the last few months.
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