DeSantis opposes US aid to Ukraine as Republican presidential race intensifies – live

Likely contender’s statement read on air by Fox News host Tucker Carlson aligns him with rival Donald Trump

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Good morning, US politics blog readers. Last night, Florida’s Republican governor and all-but-declared 2024 presidential contender Ron DeSantis said he was opposed to further American aid to Ukraine, via a statement read on the air by Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson. The decision aligns DeSantis with his rival Donald Trump, who is seen as the frontrunner for the GOP’s presidential nomination next year, but creates daylight between him and many other Republicans who say backing Kyiv is a national security priority. With Democrat Joe Biden a staunch friend of Ukraine, the governor’s stance makes clear the potential consequences if the GOP retakes the White House next year. We’ll see if anyone else in the party weighs in on DeSantis’s decision today.

Here’s what else is happening:

Biden will sign an executive order today to crack down on illegal gun sellers. He’ll make the rule official in Monterey Park, California, site of a January mass shooting in which 11 people were killed.

The Treasury will turn over some suspicious transaction records about the Bidens to James Comer, the House Republican leading the investigations into the president and his family.

New inflation data showed price growth slowing last month but still remaining potent, potentially complicating the response to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.