Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made an unannounced trip to Arizona’s southern border on Wednesday, his first as a Presidential candidate, to hold a round table with local law enforcement officials in Sierra Vista.
While in Arizona, DeSantis posed with RINO House Speaker Ben Toma, who said they “share the same determination to secure the southern border once and for all.”
Many were quick to point out Toma’s record of killing the “Defend the Guard” bill in the Arizona House and not supporting Kari Lake or election integrity, calling this “the kiss of death in AZ.”
State Senator Wendy Rogers’ SB1367 “Defend the Guard” would “Prohibit the National Guard of Arizona from being released into active duty combat unless the U.S. Congress has passed an official declaration of war, or has taken another official constitutional action as outlined.” After Senate Republicans passed this bill with zero Democrat support, Toma stonewalled it in the House.
U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar wrote in an OP-ED titled, Arizona Must Pass ‘Defend the Guard’, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been exacerbated by the administration’s sabotaging of diplomatic negotiations and determination to increase American military involvement. All to protect Ukraine’s borders while over six million illegal aliens cross over our border in just the past two years… These bills would ensure that the Arizona National Guard could not be deployed into an unconstitutional war like the one in Syria, or into Ukraine if Joe Biden continues our country’s descent into World War III.”
Speaker Ben Toma allied with Democrats to KILL #DefendTheGuard in the Arizona House because he believes the National Guard should be fighting endless wars in the Middle East—instead of defending the border.
His meeting with Governor DeSantis is a bad omen. https://t.co/oy4Y6Cd0rA
— Bring Our Troops Home (@TroopsHomeUS) June 7, 2023
Recall that Ben Toma’s family is heavily tied to Runbeck Election Services President and COO Jeff Ellington. Runbeck is the third party used for printing mail-in ballots and scanning envelopes for signature verification in Maricopa County’s elections. As The Gateway Pundit reported, It was revealed by a Runbeck whistleblower in Kari Lake’s lawsuit contesting the stolen 2022 Election that HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of ballots transported to and from Runbeck did not have any chain of custody documentation.
Tucson’s incredible radio host, Garrett Lewis, asked on Twitter, “Will @RepBenToma give @GovRonDeSantis a tour at the Runbeck facility? Ben has some connections there.”
“Not a good look for @GovRonDeSantis. He needs to stay away from establishment RINOs that are fine with elections being stolen,” said Lewis in a follow up tweet.
Not a good look for @GovRonDeSantis. He needs to stay away from establishment RINOs that are fine with elections being stolen. https://t.co/NFYcn1yz6r
— Garret Lewis (@GarretLewis) June 7, 2023
This is not a good look for election integrity in Arizona’s Presidential preference election.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, President Trump leads DeSantis by 23 points in a recent Arizona primary poll conducted from April 10 to April 12.
NBC reported on DeSantis’ “surprise trip to Arizona.”
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will make his first trip to the U.S. southern border as a presidential candidate Wednesday, thrusting himself into the increasingly volatile immigration debate as the Republican field in the 2024 campaign grows.
DeSantis will meet Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and other law enforcement officials in Sierra Vista, according to Jeremy Redfern, the governor’s press secretary. Like DeSantis, Dannels has been an outspoken critic of President Joe Biden’s border policies.
DeSantis is visiting as the immigration battle intensifies during the start of the GOP primary campaign. He has been staking out a position to the right of former President Donald Trump, whose focus on immigration in his first campaign in 2016 and during his presidency endeared him to his conservative base.
DeSantis repeatedly praised Trump for his border policies — notably in a tweet in 2021 — but he has recently sought to contrast himself with Trump, arguing that the former president did not do enough during his four years in office to strengthen border security.
Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. shared DeSantis’ tweet, commenting, “Ron DeSantis knows that President Trump’s border policies secured our border.”
Ron DeSantis knows that President Trump’s border policies secured our border. https://t.co/sDPWMJREr0
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) June 7, 2023
MAGA Inc. also referenced DeSantis’ tweet in a statement on Wednesday, saying, “President Donald Trump’s immigration policies kept Americans safe, just ask Ron DeSantis.” The statement goes on to reference a Morning Consult poll which found that 70% of Republicans trust Trump on immigration, while just 20% trust DeSantis.
Ron DeSantis can’t be trusted to secure the border. He voted against border wall funding while in Congress,” reads the statement.
DeSantis tweeted a clip from the roundtable on Wednesday, reading from a script and calling Joe Biden out for Destroying President Trump’s secure border without mentioning Trump’s historic border policies.
Watch below:
The chaos we are witnessing at our southern border is a direct result of the President’s dereliction of duty
If Joe Biden won’t do his duty to protect our people and our borders, Florida will step up. pic.twitter.com/TeYBKh2M8m
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 7, 2023