>> ladies and gentlemen of the iowa state fair. let's welcome governor kim reynolds and governor ron desantis. ♪ >> thank you so much. we really appreciate you being here as we have the opportunity. well, first of all, welcome back to the state fair. >> no, it's great to be here. we're really excited to see everybody. we appreciate how nice everybody is. it's great to be in the midwest. i tell people normally when i want to do midwestern nights, i just go to fort myers in january and i have half the midwest there. but we love everybody that comes down to florida, particularly

southwest florida from iowa and other parts. >> thank you. well, listen, good friend, former colleague, governor from florida. and so i appreciate that and appreciate the friendly competition. so ron is out there doing the 99 county tour. i think you may be ahead of me. hey, you know what, we're in iowa, and in iowa, we're iowa nice. so let's give everybody the opportunity to hear our candidates. so we'll stop. we'll stop until you do. but we're all going to have an opportunity to hear from each and every candidate. that's what we've been doing. so, ok. you're doing the 99 county tour. i'm very competitive. i think you may be ahead of me. so tell me, you know, you're putting in a lot of miles. talk to me about what you're hearing and seeing across iowa. gov. desantis: well, i think what we're hearing is people understand that our country is in decline and we need to reverse this decline and revive what's great about america. we need an economy where middle

class families have a chance to get ahead. we need a secure southern border. we can't let the drug cartels keep eating our lunch. we need to ensure that we reign in this out of control, federal bureaucracy and end the weaponization of federal power and we need to restore our military to its proper place of greatness in society. gov. reynolds: so, you know, we were both governors during covid and it was a challenging time because because you dared to challenge the media and the experts, whether it was masks or lockdowns or opening schools, you know, they attacked you again and again, i know a little bit about that too, but it turns out we were right. but how did that experience really change you and how you approached the job. gov. desantis: at the end of the day, leadership means that you've got to be willing to stand for what's right, even when it's not popular and even when you're standing virtually all alone.

and in those early times of covid, i was being attacked relentlessly by the press, by the left, by the bureaucracy, even by people, people in our own party. but i had to make the decision as a leader that i got elected to serve the people. i care more about protecting the people's jobs that i was elected to serve than i do about protecting my own political hide. and so we'll do what's right? we'll take the consequences and let the chips fall where they may. gov. reynolds: yes, it's about this country and we need to have full focus on getting back on trek. gov. desantis: and i will do this as president because kim was attacked for having kids in school. i was attacked. all those people were wrong and yet nobody has been held accountable in the federal government for their disastrous lockdown policies. we're going to bring a reckoning to that so that this never happens to our country ever again. gov. reynolds: thank you.

so there's no doubt that we're -- we are going to switch gears here just a little but china and russia are watching our military with a close eye. we see biden focused on disinformation, access to abortion, gender policy in the military and our enemies are focused on how to defeat us as the only veteran in the race. can you talk about your perspective on the risk of allowing these issues to distract us from the real threats that we face and then can just as part of that, tell us a little bit about what service means to you. gov. desantis: i was somebody that i was a blue collar kid growing up. i worked minimum wage jobs to try to be able to get myself through school, put myself in a position to succeed. and i did that, and i had an opportunity to start making good income. and then 9/11 happened and i decided that i needed to step up and serve in uniform and whatever i could do to be able to help at a time of war. i wanted to do that.

so we did, and i think what it shows, what i've done since then is, you know, i just believe in service over self, i believe if you have an opportunity to do good things for your community or your country that you have, that you have a responsibility to do that and to get that done. that's really, i think, you know, influenced me all the way up to the president in terms of what i'm looking to do, like with running for president, i'm not running to be somebody i'm running to do things on behalf of the country and for the american people. it's not about me, i'm the vessel, i'm the leader, but it's really about doing right by the folks. and if you look at our military now, we have the lowest recruiting that we've had since the draft ended after the vietnam war. and why is that? part of the reason is because the military is indulging in social experimentation, woke

ideology, politicization. you have talk about drag queens and pronouns and all this stuff. china is laughing at us when they see this. this is not the way you do. so we're going to get rid of all of that on day one as commander in chief and we're going to restore the military mission first, mission first. gov. reynolds: so you recently announced your economic independence plan. meanwhile, we see what biden continues to do. he continues to talk about bidenomics. give us a glimpse of how you'd contrast your economic message with that. gov. desantis: on day one, we take all biden regulations and executive orders and throw them in the trash can. bidenomics is basically

americans have a lower standard of living so that he can pursue his political and ideological agenda. that is unacceptable. you have to have an economy where people work hard, play by the rules, get the most out of their god given ability and they can raise a family, buy a home, home, afford a car, do all those things. if the economy doesn't work for those middle class families, we are not going to succeed as a country. everything we're going to be doing is going to be focused on really bringing the middle class in this country back. part of that is understanding how we got in this mess. we got in because of government policy, they borrowed, they printed and they spent trillions and trillions of dollars since march of 2020 under the auspices of covid and all these other things. of course, you're going to get inflation, of course, you're going to have problems with supply chains. so all the things that people

have struggled with in the middle class has been a result of government policy. governor reynolds balances her budget. we balance our budget in florida. we run big budget surpluses in florida. we have no income tax in iowa. since i've been governor, we've actually paid down almost 25% of our state's total debt that it's accumulated its entire history. we've paid off 25% of it. so don't tell me it can't be done, but we got to hold congress accountable. we can't let them spend us into oblivion anymore. and we need things like a balanced budget amendment to the constitution and term limits for members of congress. we're also going to help middle class families and jobs by utilizing all of our domestic energy resources and being energy independent in this country.

and we have a great competitive advantage in that. we're not going to force people to buy electric vehicles. first of all, that's expensive. a lot of people don't want, it's not good for liquid fuels like in iowa with the biofuels. so we're not going to do the electric forcing that, that benefits china. china produces a lot into that. we're going to use our resources here. that's going to be good for jobs, lower prices. it's going to be good for our industrial base and it is going to be good for our national security. gov. reynolds: so one of the things kind of add to that, you know, in iowa last year, we cut 21 cabinet members from my cabinet. we went from 37 down to 16. how can we do the same thing in washington dc to start to just eliminate some of the bureaucratic bloat that we see happening out there. and you've had some issues, you've had some ideas that you talked about.

can you talk about that just a little bit. gov. desantis: first of all, you know, we've reduced government in florida since i've been there. but that is pretty impressive what kim has been able to do in iowa. and that's why i tell people when they see all the good stuff iowa is doing, sometimes they'll say iowa is the florida of the north. but then i see all the stuff they've done and i think to myself, maybe we are the iowa of the south. i don't know. so first, congress needs to be a part of this. the agencies in washington have increased by 50% since 2019. 50%. do you feel 50% better as americans? the fact that that government has grown that much? i don't think so. we need to pay our government back to where it was many, many years ago. we're going to reduce the number of bureaucrats in washington by at least 50%. we're going to make sure that agencies that abuse their power

like the fbi or the doj, that when they do that, they get fired for abusing their power. so buckle up, we're going to do a lot and i think the swamp is not going to like it. but you know what, i've had enough of the swamp imposing its will on us now. it's the time we, the people impose our will on it. so i'm going to go back to covid just a little bit. gov. reynolds: covid gave parents a real opportunity to see a front row seat into what was happening in education. we've got moms for liberty that are with us today. we have parents engaged, moms and grandmas that are paying attention. so how do we maintain that momentum and continue to protect educational freedoms, but most importantly, protect our parents. there's no co-parenting going on. so talk about what president desantis would do to handle that. gov. desantis: we are going to safeguard the rights of parents

in this country to direct the education and upbringing of their kids. we are going to have school choice. we need to have this all across the country. you look at these urban areas in this country. some of them are like war zones. you can't be successful if every urban area is decaying. part of the reason it's decaying is because the schools are horrible in places like chicago and los angeles. i think we need to give these kids an opportunity to be liberated from failed school systems and give them an opportunity to go to school of their choice. so we're going to push for that 100%. we're also going to ensure that we have opportunities. i'm a father. i got a 6, 5 and three-year-old. you saw mason is right here, the five-year-old son, but we have two daughters, my wife and i, and we don't think it's fair that if they want to participate in sports, that someone will try to jam a man or a boy into competition with them. so we're going to protect girls

and women athletes. make sure that they have the opportunities that they deserve. it's very, very important. gov. reynolds: did you ever think that we would see the day where we had to actually put in statute that parents are their primary decision makers for their children. gov. desantis: what it goes back to is you have the left that wants to use the school system for indoctrination of the kids rather than education. and they know if the parents are involved that creates a roadblock for them to be able to indoctrinate. so they would rather have the parents but out. a teacher would want the parents involved because if a parent is involved in their kids', academic progress, they're going to do much better. it's all about they want to reduce the role of parents and so that they can impose their agenda. that's why biden says things like they're not your kids,

they're all of our kids. no, they're not your kids, joe, i'm sorry. and it also took you 4.5 years to even acknowledge your own granddaughter in arkansas. i'm sorry. that's just the truth. gov. reynolds: speaking of kids, i'm looking down here at casey and mason, who's already had a blue snow cone. i can't wait, and he's talking about rides and what all he can see at the fair. talk a little bit about what it's like to balance being a dad, a governor running for president. i saw you yesterday, you stopped and the kids got a break and swung, they were swinging on some swings. so, a little playground time. but how do you balance all of that? what's that like? gov. desantis: we have been doing the bus tour throughout a lot of the rural counties in iowa and the kids like traveling on the bus. it's kind of like a traveling road show. they come out to some of the events, sometimes they'll do things, but we just kind of work through it. they have fun with it. they really like getting on the road. we just want to spend time with them.

we don't want to be in a situation where we're traveling without him. so we try to maximize family time. when i was campaigning for governor, we would do the same thing, just before the political season with just being governor. we would do the same. i would sometimes take them to some of my press conferences and i would literally just have like madison, just hold my hand. i do the press conference, take questions and i get her an ice cream or something. i brought mason one time, but i made the mistake of doing a multi city swing with mason. and he was great. on the first city. i think jacksonville. then i think we are in central florida. great. last swing, third stop of the day, southwest florida. we're talking about like monoclonal antibodies or something. i'm at the podium. next thing i know he's asleep at my feet right in the middle of the press conference. needless to say i didn't stop and take very many questions that day.

so they have fun doing it. one or two stops usually, but not three is usually how we roll. gov. reynolds: they have their limit, don't they? well, mason, we got a ton of great stuff for you to do here at the fair. so you're going to have some fun and just real briefly. we're going to go to the fast three and then we'll do the final question, talk a little bit about mama for that case is kind of running. gov. desantis: my wife is here, our first lady of florida casey and she launched, she launched in florida, the mama's movement. the goal was to sign up 1 million moms. since it's florida, the grandmas too. and so we did a goal of a million and she ended up signing up 1.1 million moms and grandmas as part of this movement. and we're launching this nationwide. she was up here with governor reynolds a few weeks ago

launching it in iowa. we've gotten a lot of interest in doing it. but at the end of the day, i think it's a recognition that the left, when they do their policies that may impact us. yes, we don't like it and we want to fix that. but when you go after the kids, you are awakening a sleeping giant of mothers all across this country. this has been a huge force that moms are activated. they want to be involved and it's all about the next generation and ensuring that our kids are able to just be kids -- grow up in healthy environments, have access to good education, not have someone always trying to shove an agenda down their throat regardless of what they're doing. you wouldn't have been able to sign up 1.1 million if it was only republicans, she signed up 1.1 million because independents and a lot of democrat parents understand that we need to get this education system fixed and we need to stand for the rights of parents.

we'd love to have your support. gov. reynolds: thank you. thanks casey. it's the fast three. give me one funny campaign moment on the trail. gov. desantis: last week, we were in clayton county. we went to the clayton county fair. we had some time before we had to leave for the next stop. as somebody was a baseball player all through college, i just may have shown some snippets of a movie to my kids that iowans would remember from the 1980's that involved baseball. we're out there by the cornfield just throwing, playing catch and he's whipping them into me and everything. and then he stops and he says, daddy, is this heaven?

i said no, son, it's iowa and it is heaven. gov. reynolds: it is heaven. gov. desantis: we are going to make it to the field of dreams during this campaign. so he's very excited about being able to get over there. gov. reynolds: favorite fair food that you've had or looking forward to having. gov. desantis: we always do the fried oreos and so we'll probably do that again. gov. reynolds: your favorite walkout song? gov. desantis: favorite walkout song is actually a song called sweet florida. for some of you floridians you may have remembered. so leonard skinner is actually from jacksonville, florida. you know, they have the most famous song about alabama, but

that was done by floridians. johnny van zant, i talked to him and i said, hey, why don't you do something about florida? you guys are from florida. and so they did this song sweet florida for my governor re election campaign. and it talks about, you know, sweet florida, red, white and blue. basically, our governor is fighting for you, but it calls out fauci, it calls out the media and all stuff and it's kind of been our anthem. that was the song we used for every campaign stop in the re election campaign. gov. reynolds: very good. it seems fair, right? it seems fair. so as i travel the state, you know, i get to interact with a lot of iowans and they come up and when they talk about the 2024 election, you know, they say we're looking for a leader, a leader that will protect us, that will protect this country and that will protect our freedoms. they're looking for someone who has the moral conviction to do the right thing, even when the right thing is really hard, that really has the vision and the resolve to step in on day one

and get this country back on track. they end it with saying most importantly, i want someone who can win. so talk to iowans about why you would be that person and kind of how you did it in florida, what you saw with this last re election? so talk a little bit about that. gov. desantis: well, one, i understand the stakes of this election. we're a country in decline. it's not inevitable. it's a choice. it's a choice we as americans are going to make over the next 18 months. i'm running for president because simply managing the decline of our country a little bit better than the democrats isn't going to cut it. we must reverse the decline of this country, and i am somebody who i mentioned is a blue collar kid. i worked minimum wage jobs to be able to get through school and to give myself an opportunity because i always believed in

america. get the most out of your god given ability and america gives you a chance to succeed. and yet that american dream is slipping away for millions and millions of people throughout this country. the most powerful country in the history of this earth. and yet our country today is weaker than it's ever been in our lifetime. we need to restore american strength. we need to revive american civic pride. as a father of three, i understand the importance giving our kids opportunities and we've

discussed many of those here today. we need to leave this country better off than we found it. and we are in danger of being the first generation that turns over less opportunities to our kids than the opportunities we've inherited. as governor, i showed how all this can be done. we led with purpose and conviction. we did not use polls, we did not put our finger in the wind. we set out a vision, we executed that vision and we fought for people. we fought for their freedom. we fought for their education. we fought for their rights and florida now has never done better as a result of our leadership, not just in terms of the results, but also in terms of the political success that we've had. we need to do that nationally. we need to win the election. the time for excuses for republicans is over. we must get the job done in 2024.

i will get the job done and we will take office in january of 2025. and you can talk to people that know me. when i tell you i'm going to do something. i'm not just doing that to put something out for fodder in a campaign. if i tell you, i'm going to do something, you can take it to the bank. we are going to follow through and we are going to deliver on our promises. and so i will get the job done as president and we will give this country a new birth of freedom that it deserves. gov. reynolds: ok, let's give it up for governor ron desantis. gov. desantis: god bless you guys. thanks so much. we'll see you. ♪

gov. desantis: before i was even running, i happened to get a coffee mug from your governor that had a nice colorful phrase saying that, you know, basically we got to get things done, right? we have created now and we're giving the governor a copy. so this is no excuses. other side, get it done. there we go. gov. reynolds: i love it. gov. desantis: alrighty. sen. sc.

i hope everybody is doing well. i think i had the chan