DeSantis Caught Collaborating With China?
In the intense competition for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley have engaged in a war of words over their respective ties to China. Governor DeSantis criticized Haley for her connections to China, setting off a series of counterattacks from a super PAC supporting Haley.
The pro-Haley super PAC, Stand For America, released a 30-second ad targeting DeSantis’s stance on China. The ad, featured on X, begins with a female narrator accusing DeSantis of dishonesty, asserting that he is spreading falsehoods because he is trailing in the race. The narrator contends that DeSantis labeled China as Florida’s most crucial trading partner and allowed a Chinese military contractor to expand near a U.S. naval base in the state. The ad dismisses DeSantis as “Phony Ron DeSantis,” portraying him as unfit to lead and too weak to secure victory.
The exchange between Haley and DeSantis over their China policies escalated during the fourth GOP primary debates. Both candidates accused each other of lacking toughness on Beijing. DeSantis’s press secretary, Bryan Griffin, responded to Haley’s ad, denouncing it as filled with debunked lies about DeSantis’s record and describing it as a desperate attempt to divert attention from Haley’s alleged pro-China actions. Griffin emphasized instances where Haley invited China to her state, granted land concessions, and made statements that suggested alignment with Chinese interests.
As the Iowa caucus approaches, neither Haley nor DeSantis has managed to surpass former President Donald Trump in popularity. Trump maintains a substantial lead in Iowa, with 50%, while DeSantis and Haley trail behind at 18.4% and 15.7%, respectively. Although Haley performs better than DeSantis in New Hampshire, Trump still dominates the polls with 44.1%, followed by Haley at 25.7%, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 11.1%, and DeSantis at 7.6%. The dynamic between these candidates continues to evolve as the race for the nomination unfolds.