DeSantis honors 9/11 victims from Ground Zero while Biden speaks in Anchorage: 'Stumbling on world stage'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke out against President Biden's gaffes during his trip to Vietnam, after honoring the thousands of Americans killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

While Biden gave remarks 4,400 miles away in Anchorage, Alaska, DeSantis, taking a break from his 2024 presidential campaign, said he was invited by 9/11 families to attend the annual remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero. He notably sat among the public and not the politicians' and dignitaries' sections.

"I was walking around the site with the families. We would go to where their family members' names were, and it was really emotional because they're telling stories and the way they've done it is someone that passed away. The names of people that knew each other are close by," he said Monday on "The Ingraham Angle."

DeSantis added that the 9/11 attacks inspired him to join the military in the 2000s, and that he served in Iraq with the U.S. Navy.

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Gov. Ron DeSantis (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)

"And I've said as president, you know, they've been promised the documents on the Saudi involvement. They've been promised a lot of things over the years. We've got to deliver for these 9/11 families, and I will do that," he said.

Regarding Biden's trip to Hanoi, DeSantis reacted to several gaffes and confusing commentary made by the president.

While calling on reporters during a press conference, the president paused, and claimed he was "just following orders" from indeterminate individuals – as he paused again for several seconds before asking his staff if there was any reporter he hadn't "spoken with."

The remark led the press to erupt in a cacophony of questions, causing Biden to sternly rebuke the reporters, saying "I'm not calling on you, I've got five questioners."

At another point in remarks there, Biden announced ot the crowd, "I'm going to go to bed,"  — and also regaled the crowd with a lengthy synopsis of a John Wayne film that included the retort "dog-faced pony soldier."

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"This is a guy that's stumbling around the world stage. He's projecting weakness," DeSantis lamented.

"I think our enemies have already taken advantage of that. It's likely to invite even more problems around the world. And so, you know, it's sad, but I think it's obvious that he's been struggling for quite some time."

The governor accused the mainstream media of "covering for" Biden, while host Laura Ingraham cited examples of the press beginning to question the president's faculties following the Vietnam trip.

DeSantis also surmised that Vice President Kamala Harris is "impeachment insurance" for the unpopular president, remarking that "no matter how bad Biden is, nobody wants Harris… and that's a sad situation America finds ourselves in."

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Of considerations that Biden may not be calling all the shots from the Oval Office, given his limited public schedule, DeSantis suggested former President Obama and former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett may be exerting influence on the Biden White House.

He noted Biden ran as an experienced moderate, but has been pushed "in a very left-wing direction," and went on to criticize the administration for opening up a civil rights investigation against the New College of Sarasota, after he appointed a new slate of trustees to the state institution.

DeSantis said the new trustees, including critical race theory critic Christopher Rufo, are essentially "reorienting" the college in the vein of the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan.

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Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..