DeSantis says China is using Israel-Hamas war to dethrone the US ahead of major speech

EXCLUSIVE — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said China remains a top U.S. adversary and is attempting to use the Israel–Hamas war to topple American dominance one day before he unveils his foreign policy agenda during a speech in Washington, D.C.

Since the Oct. 7 surprise Hamas attack, DeSantis has organized four flights taking nearly 700 Americans from Israel, sent weapons, drones, and healthcare supplies to Israel, and ordered Florida’s university system to shut down pro-Palestinian protests. DeSantis has also been a staunch critic of the Chinese Communist Party throughout his term and will seek to highlight the CCP’s attempt to dethrone America’s status as the top superpower in his speech.

JAMAAL BOWMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO PULLING FIRE ALARM AND AGREES TO PAY FINE

In a new ad DeSantis’s campaign released Thursday, the governor called for eradicating the terrorist group Hamas and eliminating America’s dependence on China, a growing superpower.

“Israel is facing a rocket and mortar attack. Families gunned down in their beds. Babies, their heads cut off,” a narrator states in the ad. Simultaneously, an image of President Joe Biden is shown with a text display that says, “Biden’s weakness has emboldened our enemies, and now, China smells blood in the water.”

“Their statements, Russia’s and China’s, criticizing Israel and demanding a ceasefire almost seem coordinated. They perceive the United States as weak,” the narrator continues as images of Biden and former President Donald Trump each meeting individually with China’s President Xi Jinping are shown.

“The goal should not be a quote proportionate response. It should be the elimination of Hamas and the terrorist infrastructure,” DeSantis then says during the ad. “So, we’re going to reclaim our economic independence from China.”

“We’ve got to do strategic decoupling from China,” DeSantis continues. “They want farmland. They want land near military bases. Not here. Not on our watch. We should not be controlled by the CCP. We will not be when I’m your president.”

The governor’s foreign policy speech at the Heritage Foundation on Friday comes as he battles former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who has made foreign policy a key component of her campaign, for second place in the 2024 Republican primary behind Trump. The two candidates have stepped up their war of words against each other since the war in the Middle East began and has now claimed more than 1,400 lives in Israel.

DeSantis is against Biden’s attempt to bundle aid for Ukraine and Israel in his $106 billion foreign aid package, which calls for $14.3 billion in aid for Israel and $61.4 billion in aid for Ukraine as it battles Russia. He also opposed the $100 million in humanitarian aid to those living in the Gaza Strip and the U.S. allowing refugees from Gaza to enter the nation.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

The governor challenged all of his 2024 opponents in denouncing Biden’s “gift to Hamas” while more than 200 hostages remain kidnapped by the terrorist group.

In his attempt to curb Chinese influence, DeSantis has also signed legislation limiting Chinese purchases of agricultural land and land near military bases and announced executive action that addresses threats from China and other hostile foreign powers in cyberspace, real estate, and academia.