Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ recent comments on Ukraine, saying he would not have made such statements if he really understood the issues.
During an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that aired late Wednesday, Harris was asked about DeSantis’ comments to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, in which he called Russia’s war in Ukraine a “territorial dispute” and Said rescuing Ukraine is not a “vital” national interest for the US
Harris rebutted the remark by DeSantis, a Republican, pointing out for the first time a row with “more than 100” world leaders — presidents, prime ministers, chancellors and kings — as vice president.
“When you have the experience to appreciate and understand the importance of international rules and norms, and the importance of the United States standing firm and being clear about the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity, the importance of enduring against any country that tries to occupy another country by force,” Harris said.
She added: “If you really understood the issues, you probably wouldn’t be making statements like this.”
The comments from DeSantis, a potential Republican presidential candidate, came in response to a questionnaire Carlson shared To Twitter.
“While America has many important national interests – securing our borders, addressing readiness crises within our military, achieving energy security and independence, and checking the economic, cultural and military power of the Chinese Communist Party – one Getting further embroiled in the territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them,” DeSantis wrote.
“The Biden administration’s virtual ‘blank check’ funding for this struggle ‘as long as it takes,’ without defined objectives or accountability, distracts from our nation’s most pressing challenges,” he continued.
DeSantis also said that “peace should be the objective” for the US, adding that he opposed sending “F-16s and long-range missiles” to Ukraine to help defend against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war of attrition. doing.
The remarks represent a change from many in DeSantis’ party as well as from his time serving in Congress, during which he supported several defense bills providing US military and intelligence support for Ukraine.
While he has yet to announce a 2024 presidential bid, DeSantis is already seen as a favorite by some Republicans who want to move on from Trump.
Harris has previously criticized DeSantis over his efforts to change how black history is taught.
He said in an interview with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell last month, “To censor America’s teachers and tell them what they should teach is in the best interest of our children … I think it’s wrong. “
Harris said, “The only people who know our children are their parents and their teachers … and no politician should say what should be taught in our classrooms.”
