Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Explains What Sets Him Apart Among 2024 GOP Candidates | The View

[ APPLAUSE ] SO MR. MAYOR, FLORIDA IS A CRITICAL STATE IN 2024. >> YEP. >> Joy: IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE A SWING STATE. >> SURE. >> Joy: YOU'RE UP AGAINST TWO HEAVY HITTERS, DeSANTIS AND TRUMP. A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [ LAUGHTER ] BOTH FLORIDIANS AND BOTH WITH COMMANDING LEADS, I MIGHT POINT OUT. >> SURE. >> Joy: WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT YOU COULD GO UP

AGAINST THESE MEN AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BREAK THROUGH? >> I THINK I'M RADICALLY DIFFERENT THAN THEM. I LOOK DIFFERENT, I SOUND DIFFERENT. >> Ana: THANK GOD. >> I APPEAL TO DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF OUR COUNTRY. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO APPEAL TO HISPANICS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THAT LOST YOUNG VOTERS, VOTERS UNDER 30 BY 26 POINTS TO

THE PRESIDENT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A MESSAGE THAT MOTIVATES AND INSPIRES YOUNG PEOPLE. >> Joy: LIKE WHAT? >> WELL, LIKE FINDING PROSPERITY AND CREATING AN AGENDA THAT IS GOING TO MOTIVATE THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE FUTURE. >> Sunny: STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS WOULD WORK. YOU HAVE BEEN GREAT ON CLIMATE CHANGE. >> CAN I SAY ON THAT, I'VE DONE THREE INITIATIVES THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.

ONE IS IN MIAMI, I CREATED A SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR KINDERGARTNERS. SO EVERY KINDER GAT NER IN OUR AND COMMUNITY GETS A SAVINGS ACCOUNT WHERE THEY CAN LEARN FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND THEIR PARENTS ALSO GET TO LEARN FINANCIAL LITERACY. >> Joy: YOU PUT MONEY INTO THE ACCOUNT? >> THEY CAN ONLY DEPOSIT, AND NOT TAKE THE MONEY OUT. THE OTHER THING I'VE DONE IS TWO SCHOLARSHIPS WHICH I THINK

ARE REALLY UNIQUE. ONE IS FOR FIRST IN FAMILY. IF YOU ARE A PELL GRANT RECIPIENT AND THE FIRST PERSON IN YOUR FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE, WE PICK UP THE TAB. >> Alyssa: THAT'S AWESOME. >> AND FOR STANDARD REASONS AS WELL BECAUSE WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUNG VOTERS WE'RE ENTERING INTO A NEW ECONOMY WHICH IS MORE DIGITAL. MY KIDS WITH THEIR DEVICES AND I CAN'T GET

MY KIDS OFF THEIR DEVICES. IF YOU ARE A PELL GRANT RECIPIENT IN THE CITY OF MIAMI AND YOU WANT TO GET A S.T.E.M. DEGREE, WE PICK UP THE TAB AS WELL. WE PUT IN ABOUT $500,000. I RAISED $5.5 MILLION FOR THE DIFFERENCE, AND IT GIVES PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT, DYNAMIC ECONOMY. >> Joy: AND THE CLIMATE CHANGE YOU WERE GOING TO

SAY? >> CLIMATE CHANGE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T BELIEVE IT'S THE ENVIRONMENT OR THE ECONOMY. WE BELIEVE OUR ENVIRONMENT IS THE ECONOMY, RIGHT? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT FOR EXAMPLE, THE EVERGLADES. THAT'S OUR DRINKING WATER. IT'S EXISTENTIAL FOR US. IF WE CAN'T DRINK WATER, WE CAN'T LIVE. >> Joy: THAT'S RIGHT. WE DIE. >> FOR SURE, WE DO DIE. IF -- >> Ana: IN MIAMI, WE'LL DROWN. >> WELL,

IN MIAMI, YOU KNOW, REPUBLICANS -- HURRICANES ARE NOT REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, ROO IGT? >> Sara: YEAH. >> HURRICANES ARE THINGS WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR, WE HAVE TO BE READY FOR. I CAN'T -- I DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF BEING PARTISAN ABOUT A HURRICANE OR BLAMING SOMEBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, OUR CITIZENS DID SOMETHING VERY UNUSUAL. THEY VOTED TO TAX THEMSELVES THROUGH THE MIAMI FOREVER BOND TO

DEDICATE THE KIND OF FUNDS TO DEAL WITH RESILIENCY WITH WATER AS ANA SAID. WE'RE THE MOST RESILIENT CITY ON THE PLANET. AFTER HURRICANE ANDREW, MY DAD WAS THE MAYOR. THE FIRST CUBAN MAYOR OF MIAMI. IT'S PART OF OUR SURVIVAL. IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN -- THAT AAI AS A MAYOR OR PUBLIC OFFICIAL CAN BURY MY HEAD IN THE SAND AND PRETEND IT DOESN'T EXIST. MAYORS

HAVE A TOUGH JOB, SUNNY. >> Sunny: IT'S A TOUGH JOB. >> YOU CAN POLL MAYORS ACROSS AMERICA, AND THEY'LL TELL YOU IT'S NOT EASY. THE ISSUES WE'RE DEALING WITH, HOMELESSNESS, MAEENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, CRIME AND URBAN CRIME AND POVERTY. THOSE ARE NOT EASY ISSUES AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A MAYORAL PERSONALITY, SOMEONE WHO CAN BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. >> Joy: WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. >> MY

APOLOGIES. >> Ana: HE'S CUBAN. HE CAN'T HELP IT. >> THIS IS TRUE. THIS IS TRUE. >> Ana: YOUR FAMILY AND MY FAMILY GO BACK A LONG TIME. >> SURE. >> Ana: WE ARE FRIENDS, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS. >> SURE. >> Ana: WE KNOW IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE CUBAN AMERICAN VOTE WENT VERY HEAVILY FOR DONALD TRUMP AND VERY HEAVILY FOR RON DeSANTIS.

>> YEAH. >> Ana: IT'S NOW DIVIDED BETWEEN THEM. THAT'S YOUR COMMUNITY. BOTH YOUR PARENTS ARE CUBAN IMMIGRANTS. HOW DO YOU THINK YOU WILL FARE IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY AGAINST THOSE TWO GUYS WHO ARE SO POPULAR IN THE CUBAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY? >> I THINK THE VOTERS ARHAVE ON BEEN GIVEN ONE OPTION, WHICH IS AN OPTION OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE AGAINST. I DID MY INTRODUCTORY SPEECH, AND I

WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE FOR. IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE AN AGENDA OF PROSPERITY, I BELIEVE THEY WILL CHOOSE THAT. MY HOPE IS I CAN INSPIRE PEOPLE TO BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND PEOPLE WILL GRAVITATE TOWARDS IT. >> Ana: PEOPLE SAY HE DOESN'T STAND A CHANCE. WHAT'S HIS NEXT STEP? WHAT'S THIS GOING TO CATAPULT HIM TO? THIS IS JUST A VANITY PROJECT. I WANT YOU TO

ANSWER THAT. >> LOOK, IT'S NOT. RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT GAUNTLET THAT YOU CAN SUBJECT YOURSELF AS A HUMAN BEING. I HAVE TWO KIDS, A 9-YEAR-OLD AND A 5-YEAR-OLD. I'M BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 16 YEARS. I DON'T WANT TO BE AWAY FROM THEM. FRANKLY I LIKE NEW YORK, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE IN NEW YORK. I WANT TO BE IN MIAMI

WITH THEM. I FEEL OBLIGATED. I FEEL A SENSE OF OBLIGATION. I DON'T THINK THE VOTERS ARE GETTING A GOOD OPTION, AND I THINK I PRESENT SOMETHING THAT'S UNIQUE, THAT'S DIFFERENT, AND THAT HOPEFULLY MOTIVATES THEM. >> Sunny: YOU SOUND SO REASONABLE. >> THANK YOU. >> Sunny: HOWEVER -- >> I THINK REASONABLE IS GOOD, RIGHT? THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD. >> Sunny: HOWEVER, I'M GOING

TO ASK YOU SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS TOO BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE DO HERE. >> SURE. >> Sunny: YOU WERE OUTSIDE THE COURTROOM WHEN THE FORMER PRESIDENT PLED NOT GUILTY TO 37 CRIMINAL COUNTS RELATED TO THE HANDLING OF THE CLASSIFIED MATERIALS, FEDERAL CHARGES. IN 2016 AND 2020, YOU DID NOT VOTE FOR THE FORMER PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. BUT IF HE IS THE EVENTUAL NOMINEE, YOU SAID AND MAYBE I

READ THIS WRONG -- >> NO. >> Sunny: -- THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT HIM AND VOTE FOR HIM. SEE, NOW THAT DOESN'T SOUND REASONABLE. >> WITH THE CURRENT TRAJECTORY THAT WE'RE ON WHERE INFLATION IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE IN AMERICA, AND THE POORER IS GETTING POORER. >> Joy: AND THE WORLD. >> CERTAINLY IN AMERICA. THE POORER AND AMERICA IS GETTING WEAKER AND I DON'T WANT TO LIVE

IN A WORLD WHERE MY CHILDREN LIVE MANY WHERE CHINA IS A LONE SUPERPOWER AND WE'RE SEEING CHINA'S INFLUENCE EXPAND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. WE'RE SEEING IT NOW. IN CUBA, THEY'RE GOING FROM, YOU KNOW, A SPY BASE TO A MILITARY BASE. >> Sunny: BUT YOU WOULD VOTE FOR A MAN WHO HAS BEEN IMPEACHED TWICE. YOU WOULD VOTE FOR A MAN WHO HAS TWO PENDING INDICTMENTS, CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS. YOU

WOULD VOTE FOR A MAN WHO BILL BARR SAID THAT THE FEDERAL INDICTMENT AGAINST THE FORMER PRESIDENT IS VERY DAMNING. DO YOU THINK THOSE CHARGES OF NATIONAL SECURITY ARE DAMNING? >> I THINK THEY'RE SERIOUS, AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS, SUNNY -- >> Sunny: THEN WHY WOULD YOU VOTE FOR HIM? >> I'M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. I WANT PEOPLE TO VOTE FOR ME. IS THAT FAIR? >> Sunny: IF

YOU DON'T GET THE NOD, YOU WOULD VOTE FOR HIM. >> I'M NOT RUNNING NOT TO GET THE NOD. I'M RUNNING TO GET THE NOD. I'M RUNNING TO CONVINCE EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS AUDIENCE TO GIVE ME A CHANCE, TO GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THEM HUMBLY AND TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER. >> Joy: ARE YOU SAYING YOU WOULD VOTE FOR HIM BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU

NEED HIS BASE TO VOTE FOR YOU OR BECAUSE YOU THINK HE WOULD ACTUALLY BE A GOOD PRESIDENT? COME ON. >> JOY -- >> Ana: FROM PRISON. IF HE DOESN'T VOTE FOR HIM, HE DOESN'T GET ON THE DEBATE STAGE. >> YEAH, THAT'S TRUE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS I VOTE FOR MYSELF. I'M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONVERSATION ALWAYS GRAVITATES TOWARDS

THE FORMER PRESIDENT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR OUR COUNTRY. I THINK THAT'S TOXIC. I THINK IT PROMOTES DIVISION. >> Sunny: THEN WHY WOULD YOU SAY I WOULD VOTE WITH MAYOR SUAREZ. SARA. >> Sara: YES, MR. MAYOR. IN APRIL, GOVERNOR DeSANTIS SIGNED INTO LAW AN ABORTION BAN AFTER SIX WEEKS OF PREGNANCY IN FLORIDA WHICH IS SO EARLY THAT MANY WOMEN DON'T EVEN KNOW THEY'RE PREGNANT. NOW

YOU'VE INDICATED THAT THIS IS MUCH STRICTER THAN WHAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT AS PRESIDENT. CAN YOU TELL US WHERE YOU STAND ON THIS ISSUE? THIS HAS BEEN A LOSING ISSUE ON THE BALLOT FOR REPUBLICANS FOR THE LAST FEW ELECTIONS AND ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT REPUBLICANS WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE ON THIS ISSUE? >> YEAH. SO IT'S A DEEPLY PERSONAL ISSUE. VERY DIVISIVE IN OUR COUNTRY. I'M CATHOLIC. I'M

PRO-LIFE. I HAVE THREE SISTERS, NO BROTHERS, A WIFE, A MOTHER, AND A MOTHER-IN-LAW. >> Ana: OH. >> MUCH LIKE THESE POWERFUL WOMEN NEXT TO ME AND THEY'RE ALL PRO-LIFE. HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT MY POSITION MAY NOT BE THE PREDOMINANT POSITION IN THE COUNTRY AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, AND SO I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT POSITION RIGHT NOW FOR REPUBLICANS IS TO HAVE A 15-WEEK MINIMUM

STANDARD. I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE POSITION. I THINK 70% OF THE COUNTRY IS PROBABLY AT THAT POINT, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING BEYOND THAT IS REALLY NOT IN TUNE WITH WHERE AMERICA IS RIGHT NOW, AND SO I THINK AS A PUBLIC SERVANT, AS SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO SERVE PEOPLE, I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THOSE THINGS. >> Alyssa: AND MR. MAYOR, SINCE THE

PANDEMIC, FLORIDA HAS GROWN EXPONE EXPONENTIALLY. IT'SE IT'S BEEN THE STATE THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE MOVED TO. AS PRESIDENT, WHAT WOULD YOUR VISION BE FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY TO LOWER THE COST OF LIVING FOR HARDWORKING AMERICANS? >> WHAT I HAVE DONE IN MIAMI I THINK IS A FORMULA FOR SUCCESS FOR THE COUNTRY. I'VE KEPT TAXES LOW. I'VE KEPT PEOPLE SAFE, AND I'VE LEANED INTO INNOVATION. WE LOWERED

TAXES TO THE LOWEST LEVEL EVER AND WE SAW DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH. ON SAFETY, WE HAD THE LOWEST PER CAPITA HOMICIDE RATE SINCE 1964. I WAS BORN IN 1977, AND DATING MYSELF -- >> Ana: OH MY GOD. DON'T REMIND ME. >> SORRY. WE'RE 42% BELOW OUR 1964 PER CAPITA HOMICIDE LOW, AND ON INNOVATION, WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN WAGE GROWTH. WE HAVE THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT IN AMERICA, AND WE'RE

NUMBER ONE IN TECH JOB GROWTH. THAT'S THE ECONOMY OF THE FUTURE. WE NEED TO POSITION OUR COUNTRY TO CAPTURE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THAT'S HOW YOU GET YOUNG PEOPLE. >> Ana: I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF REPUBLICANS WHO COME HERE -- >> THEY SHOULD ALL COME HERE. THEY SHOULD ALL COME HERE. >> Ana: THEY FUND-RAISE OFF BEING HERE.

I WANT