Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on Sunday refused to condemn Donald Trump for using the term "vermin" to describe his political opponents.
"Mr. Trump is campaigning on the idea of retribution," NBC host Kristen Welker told DeSantis in an interview. "He's promising to jail his political enemies if he's reelected."
"He's also referred to some of his political opponents as vermin, language that people, frankly, across the political spectrum, say harkens back to Nazi Germany," she continued. "Do you think that kind of language is presidential?"
"Well, I think even beyond that, the issue is, is why are you running?" DeSantis dodged. "Are you running for your personal issues? Are you running for the American people's issues?"
Welker pressed: "But let me ask you about my original question, the use of the word vermin. Are you comfortable with that term? But are you comfortable with that term, Governor?"
"Let me just say on the DOJ, well, first of all, I'm responsible for what I say, and I say things differently," DeSantis replied.
"Are you comfortable with that term?" the host asked again. "Let's just on my question though, Governor."
"Excuse me!" DeSantis exclaimed. "What I'm not comfortable with is FBI agents going after parents going to school board meetings. I'm not comfortable with DOJ, FBI working with tech companies to censor dissent."
Welker asked the candidate to condemn the use of the word "vermin." But he refused.
"I don't use the term, but what I don't do is play the media's game where I'm asked to referee other people," DeSantis opined. "He's responsible for his words. He's responsible for his conduct. I'm responsible for mine."
