Trump jockeying, Florida's roots color the first GOP debate

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – An unpleasant tone early Thursday evening at the first GOP governorate debate in Florida, a case in which Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and US Representative Ron DeSantis have frequently blamed The Florida.

"Welcome to Florida", Putnam tells DeSantis to open the debate.

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Casting DeSantis as a Washington creature who spends more time on Fox News than the state he now wants to lead Putnam has been elected in Florida since the age 22 years old.

DeSantis, a former JAG officer of the US Navy, rose from Putnam's military service and the fact that he was missing from his own family in Florida.

"There I would have liked to spend more time in Florida," said DeSantis. "But sometimes duty calls."

Putnam maintained the line of attack throughout the debate, which was sponsored by Fox News. He noted in his closing remarks that Florida is a prize for many retirees who flock to the state after long careers "Becoming governor of Florida is also a prize, but you have to be there to win," he said. said Putnam, a smile visible on his face as he delivered the line.

DeSantis, meanwhile. , has worked to throw Putnam as being against President Donald Trump, an extremely popular figure among Republican primary voters, including activists present at the debate outside of Orlando.

DeSantis, a three-term Congressman, said Trump was running in the GOP primary "you could not find Adam Putnam with a search warrant."

Putnam, who backed former Florida governor Jeb Bush to the 2016 GOP presidential election, dropped a question regarding his condemnation of Trump's remarks during the campaign, which Putnam said, "vile, obscene and dishonorable."

"I did not call the president these things," Putnam said, telling a technical truth because he condemned Trump's remarks about women, not naming these names personally.

Putnam then changes gears and focuses on two Democratic politicians, Rep. Maxine Waters, of California, and former President Barack Obama.

"The President [Trump] did not set the tone that the Democrats are trying to blame" Putnam said:

Trump's approval helped set the tone in the national primary, with DeSantis touting him where he can and featuring the president in commercials, while Putnam still inculcates Trump's policies and aligns Even at the time of the debate, Putnam was asked why Trump had " wrong "to support his opponent, a question that Putnam had used to praise Trump and return to his campaign.

" I am proud of his program [Trump’s] to make America Great Again, but I'm running a campaign in Florida First, "said Putnam.

On many policies, both are in agreement.The two are anti-abortion, opposed to the increases in Taxes and almost universally support the Trump administration positions. [19659004] Immigration, however, is a problem where there is the most distance between the two, with DeSantis painting Putnam as weak on the issue the backers of the industry need an offer constant cheap labor. Putnam said DeSantis was part of Washington's inaction on the issue.

DeSantis blamed Putnam for supporting the bipartisan "Obama-Schumer Amnesty 2013" immigration bill, which passed the US Senate but failed in the House. This vote came during Putnam's 10 years in Congress, a term that ended with him as president of the House Republican Conference

avoiding his campaign nickname for "Amnesty Adam," DeSantis also criticized Putnam for vote the troops at the border, for exerting pressure behind the scenes against Florida's 2011 legislation that required employers to use the federal E-Verify system to check the immigration status of employees and said Putnam has legalized some undocumented workers. As he has done in the past, Putnam responded by pointing out recent Congress inaction.

"Washington should do its job, they have not passed immigration law," Putnam said. need and must have a stable and legal workforce without any path to citizenship.But you must have an immigration solution that meets the needs of this economy. "

Putnam pr asked Scott to order state contractors to use E-Verify, which prompted DeSantis to say that Scott would have signed a bill requiring wider use E-Verify "if Adam had not worked to kill E-Verify."

Putnam refused to say he would always describe himself as a "proud salesman of the NRA", but he made it clear that he was pro-second amendment.The two Putnam and DeSantis were quiet this winter when lawmakers passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas law, which, among other things, required a limit of $ 500,000. age 21 and a waiting period of three days for the purchase of all weapons.After Governor Rick Scott signed the legislation, the two then said that they were safe.

Putnam pointed out that "the crime in Florida is at its lowest for 47 years" among the hidden licenses of firearms s state, with 2 million

Asked about the failure of a background check at his office, Putnam said that no one was in danger and that he referred the person who was responsible for the problem.

DeSantis retorted, however: "He did not act as a leader, he hid it, it was discovered by the media."

Putnam denied a blanket and said that He told reporters "until they ran out of questions", In addition, Putnam pointed out that it was approved by large police unions and has been approved by 45 of the 66 sheriffs in the state.

DeSantis earned his biggest applause by targeting Broward Sheriff Scott Israel, who employed a school resource officer who failed to arrest the Parkland fencer Feb. 14 before his rampage that left 17 dead, including 14 students and 17 wounded.

"If I had been a governor, I would not have signed gun control, but what I would have done was that I would have removed this sheriff of Broward County … he has failed his citizens. "1965-19004:" Sheriff Israel is the subject of an investigation and Sheriff Israel must go, "said Putnam, who criticized. government silo, "including the Department of Children and Families of Florida and Broward's superintendent of schools, Robert Runcie.

Although Putnam said that Israel is the subject of a survey, the agency is part of an investigation into what happened on February 14. The sheriff is not personally under investigation.

While the race between in his last two months, DeSantis most public polls, but has a sense of relief that after an assault of more than $ 10 million in ads from Putnam and his allies, the The race is still tight and his campaign recently launched a $ 12 million advertising campaign, his first time on television, a move that he hopes will help bridge the gap.

"We are definitely down. One can not help being left behind after 10 million dollars of announcements, "tweeted Thursday morning DeSantis' advisor, Brad Herold. "The problem is that Putnam needed a 20-30% lead before we went on the air … now we're coming."