After voting in Congress for legislation that prioritized payments to China over assisting veterans and spending years defending the disastrous Trump trade war, Ron DeSantis has made it crystal clear that his agenda on China would be a continuation of Donald Trump’s catastrophic presidency.

When it comes to China policy, DeSantis’ rhetoric doesn’t match reality, and his donors appear to hold substantial sway.

Bloomberg: “When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pushed through an anti-China crackdown in his state earlier this year, he won praise from populist Republicans across the country. But to Ken Griffin, the state’s wealthiest man, the effort represented an ideological affront. … So the Citadel founder assembled a network of influence to rework the proposed law, according to people familiar with the matter. The scope of the restrictions was then narrowed geographically for those with work permits. The episode demonstrates the power Griffin has amassed in Florida roughly a year after moving from Chicago.”

WFTV: “Despite publicly taking a hard stance against TikTok and calling the Chinese-based app a security risk, Florida’s government has simultaneously funneled tens of thousands of dollars toward the app’s parent company for advertisements. The ads, in the form of sponsored posts showing up on users’ ‘For You’ feeds, were distributed by Florida PrePaid, an agency with board members appointed by the governor and other senior state officials tasked with signing families up for college savings plans.”

In Congress, DeSantis voted for legislation to have the U.S. prioritize payments to China over assistance for veterans and seniors in the event of default.

2013: DeSantis voted for the Full Faith and Credit Act.

HuffPost: “During an interview with Bloomberg TV, Boehner was asked about this week’s vote on the Full Faith and Credit Act, which, in the event that the U.S. hits its debt ceiling, would direct the treasury secretary to pay only the principal and interest owed to bondholders before making any other payments. Money for other payments, such as those for veterans, Medicare and national security, would have to be divvied up from what remained of the scarce federal funds.”

DeSantis refused to stand up against Trump in his reckless trade war with China and praised Trump’s failed trade deal negotiations.

DeSantis on FL citrus growers concerned about Trump’s trade war: “I think there’s concern, but I think it’s also the case that, you know, there’s other segments of the economy, they get frustrated with how China treats things that we’re producing, you know, in Florida and across the country. And so you have different sides. But look, at the end of the day the goal needs to be fewer barriers for American products in these countries. And if we can achieve that and this is how the President is going to do it then I think we’ll be better off.”

Tampa Bay Times: “‘Donald Trump wrote the ‘Art of the Deal.’ He knows how to negotiate, and I’ve talked to him about this,’ DeSantis said in that debate. ‘… He’s trying to get concessions on behalf of the American people, and I think we should let him do his thing. He’s a master negotiator.”