Ron DeSantis Vows to Start 'Slitting Throats' on First Day of Presidency

Governor Ron DeSantis has vowed to "start slitting throats on day one" if he is elected president.

The Florida Republican was in New Hampshire on Sunday when he made comments about getting tough on the "deep state"—a phrase used by some conservatives to describe a supposed cabal of unelected officials who they claim are secretly steering government policy.

DeSantis is pitching himself as a hardliner as he bids for the 2024 Republican nomination, with polls indicating that he is lagging behind former President Donald Trump among GOP voters.

During his three-day trip to the early primary state, the governor spoke at a barbecue in Rye hosted by former GOP Senator Scott Brown.

In remarks recorded by New Hampshire Public Radio, DeSantis said: "We're going to have all these deep state people, you know we're going to start slitting throats on day one."

While there is no suggestion that DeSantis was speaking literally, Newsweek has contacted his presidential campaign asking if the governor stands by the remark.

Norm Olsen, a barbecue attendee who described himself as a GOP primary voter, told New Hampshire Public Radio that he disapproved of the governor's comment. He said: "If I was in charge of his PR, I would have said, 'Don't use that terminology.'"

DeSantis' speech in Rye focused heavily on what he has previously termed his "war on woke."

He said on Sunday: "We're going to ensure the woke agenda ends up in the dustbin of history."

The governor also vowed tougher action against Mexican drug cartels, saying: "At the border they're going to be shot stone cold dead."

In Florida DeSantis has passed the "Stop Woke Act", which bans educational establishments and businesses from teaching anything that could cause people to "feel guilt, anguish or any form of psychological distress" based on their race, national origin or sex.

He also signed the Parental Rights in Education Act, which originally banned teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity through third grade. This was later extended, with come exemptions, all the way through 12th grade.

The extension sparked fury from campaigners who accused DeSantis of homophobia, dubbing the bill the "Don't Say Gay" act. After Disney publicly opposed the policy, DeSantis stripped the entertainment giant of the self-governing powers it previously enjoyed around its Florida theme parks.

Over the past couple of weeks 38 DeSantis staffers are reported to have been fired or to have left as the campaign attempts to improve its poll ratings.

A Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey of Florida voters, conducted exclusively for Newsweek, found that just 15 percent think DeSantis is "most likely to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election."

Just over half—51 percent—said Trump was most likely to be the GOP candidate.