Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis debated NBC News reporter Dasha Burns over his promise to use “deadly force” against the Mexican drug cartels.
DeSantis vowed to allow border officials to use deadly force against drug cartels and “drop” cartel members who cross the U.S.-Mexico border during a June 26 press conference.
“It’s similar to like if you’re in the military. You have rules of engagement, anyone that’s hostile intent or a hostile act, which the cartels are, you would then engage with lethal force,” DeSantis told Burns.
“You, yourself were an advisor to Navy SEALs. You know how hard it is sometimes when it comes to rules of engagement. How to tell good guys from bad guys, especially when folks are crossing the border under cover of night, how do you discern if it’s a child or a mother or a cartel member?” she asked.
The governor interjected by saying a child would not be met with deadly force.
“Right, but a pregnant mom with a baseball cap and a backpack,” Burns interrupted.
“They have, they have indications. I mean, if you have people blowtorching through a border wall, that is not gonna fly,” the governor responded. (RELATED: NBC Reporter Made A Demonstrably False Claim During Her Interview With Ron DeSantis)
“But the border wall isn’t everywhere, how do you know you’re using deadly force against the right people?” the reporter asked.
“It’s the same way you would use in any situation. The same way a police officer would know, the same way somebody operating in Iraq would know. You know, these people in Iraq at the time, they all look the same. You didn’t know who had a bomb strapped to them, so those guys have to make judgements,” DeSantis said.
The governor has previously promised that any cartel member smuggling fentanyl into the U.S. will wind up “stone cold dead.” He has also called for a national emergency declaration on the first day of his potential presidency and “mobilize all the available assets.”