GOP Republican presidential hopeful Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said this week he’d start “slitting throats” in the deep state bureaucracy on day one of his administration.
While campaigning in New Hampshire earlier this week, the Florida governor made the comments in a speech to his supporters. DeSantis has begun running to the right of Donald Trump and has escalated rhetoric on the campaign trail.
“On bureaucracy, you know, we’re going to have all these deep state people. You know, we’re going to start slitting throats on day one and be ready to go. You’re going to see a huge, huge outcry because Washington wants to protect its own. But at the end of the day, this is a city that’s failed this country,” DeSantis declared at a barbecue event with GOP voters.
When he received push back for those comments by pundits and the press, DeSantis claimed that it was only a “figure of speech.”
DeSantis is the midst of a campaign reboot after firing more than a third of staffers. He currently trails Trump by over 30 points nationally on average, according to Real Clear Politics.
The former president also leads DeSantis in key swing states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire.
Watch the full clip above via CNN.
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