but i rainian-backed malitia groups. these attacks must stop. >> it can announce the decision to deploy an additional 300 troops to the u.s. central command region from home stations in the continental united states. these additional troops will provide communications and other support enablers for forces already in the region. >> neil: under fire, but not israeli troops. try american ones. iranian backed proxies targeting u.s. forces in the middle east. in a moment, republican presidential candidate ron desantis on what the u.s. should do. former vice presidential candidate joe lieberman on what the u.s. and the world should do. welcome, everybody. i'm neil cavuto. first to rich edson at the pentagon with more on these latest attacks and how we're responding. rich? >> good afternoon, neil. the pentagon says they're putting more munitions, more people, more troops in to the region. the 300 you just heard announced there is on top of the 900 the pentagon announced were heading there last week. this as you mentioned 27 attacks across the middle east in the past couple of weeks. all this as secretary of defense lloyd austin was on capitol hill testifying before the senate appropriations committee. that was testifying about the specifically this budget request for more money for ukraine and for israel and taiwan. but they got to do another discussion as well. austin maintains the u.s. is holding iran accountable for these attacks like the air strikes against week on two iranian linked weapons warehouses in eastern syria. the pentagon says there's been six attacks on bases with american troops since those strikes. senators challenged austin on whether the u.s. is deterring iran and its proxy forces. >> these groups escalating these attacks to include more places at a faster clip with more lethality and sophistication if we do not establish a credible deterrent quickly. >> i've been clear. the president has been clear. that's something that we won't tol tolerate. we'll do what is necessary to protect our troops. >> defense officials say they know these malitias are funded, trained and sponsored by iran and the u.s. holds the iranian government respond for that. despite the rapid increase in these attacks this month, the pentagon maintains they're separate from the united states support of israel. the pentagon says its sending on a near daily basis munitions to israel like air defense systems, precision guided systems and more intercepters for the iron dom missile defense system. neil? >> neil: rich edson, thanks very much. at the pentagon with us right now. the president presidential candidate and florida governor, ron desantis. governor, very good to see you. your thoughts first off, sir, on these 300 different troops we're sending to the region, 1,200 in all right now and that might not be it. what do you think? >> well, i'll tell you, neil, i look at all of these attacks against u.s. positions in the middle east. seems like biden has people there that are sitting ducks. they're there and probably too small numbers to really do a whole lot. but they're insufficient numbers where they're an inviting target. the response to those attacks has been abysmal what they -- they bombed a couple of irgc buildings that were empty. so he's inviting more attacks against our troops. they're not doing anything to hold iran accountable. yes, the direct response to these attacks -- these are places like al assad air base. i was on duty there 15 years ago. that's longstanding positions for u.s. forces. but it's not just that. he has not turned the screws on the iranians financially since this happened. he gave them huge relief from oil revenue. iran has gotten a lot of revenue from that. he's not taken back the $6 billion. so you have to understand, iran is the root of all the problems for what's going on in that region and they're not doing enough. i think they think they can get a deal with iran to this day, which is not going to happen. >> neil: you are the only veteran in this race that has served this country abroad. you were in fallujah. you talked about the build-up of troops on our part to deal with iranian proxies. should that include attacks on iran itself? >> i think that, you know, we don't want to blunder in to another middle eastern war. i can tell you as having been there, back in the day. we were in a situation where the mission was murky. we didn't end up achieving a clear-cut victory. it's a sticky part of the world. you have to be very careful. on the flip side, you can't just have american troops that people can just take pot shots at. that's not the way it works. biden should -- he owes the american people an explanation of why the troops are there and what they're actually doing. he doesn't seem to have much of a strategy with any of that. this -- the conflicts that we had in the middle east, they left a lot of scars, a lot of veterans families. we lost a lot of great warriors. the people that came home that had things like post traumatic stress, loss of limbs. there were real costs. you have to be careful. you don't want to do anything that will needlessly escalate the situation. >> neil: you know, the reason i ask, you criticize the president for his confusing policy. no offense, governor. i'm confused by what yours will be. are you against, if there iranian attacks on u.s. soldiers, reresponding to those attacks? >> no, no, no. >> neil: you called attacks on properties that might not be in iran but to go after iran directly. >> so we will defend, if you harm american service members, with will respond to deter you from doing that in the future. >> neil: they've been harmed. 27 times, right? >> exactly. i think the larger issue, why are the troops targets in the first place? biden has not articulated their mission being there. so as commander-in-chief, you have to look, okay, what is the benefit of them being there versus the risk of them being there. he does owe an explanation for that. that's a separate issue from if there are pot shots taken at american troops, you rerespond. now, you have to do that in a way that will deter them and you have to be mindful of what that means. we're not just going to sit there and allow american troops to be attacked. that is obviously unacceptable. >> neil: now, obviously our presence has been beefed up in an around the mediterranean certainly outside with the u.s.s. gerald ford, ronald reagan, a host of other ships coming there. china too is in that neck of the woods. it building. there's a building global presince here. are you worried this turns out to be a bigger war? >> that's obviously a risk. i don't know that that is in our interest to want to get ininvolved in that. you're right to point out the role that china is playing. china is one of the biggest benefactors of iran. they're purchasing a lot of this oil on the black market. they're flooding the regime with billions. china likes what's going on. i think china would like to see this be a really long and difficult conflict in the middle east. i think they view that as within their interests and i think they correctly think that it will take the eye off the ball from the indopacific, which is their area of primary concern. >> neil: governor, you gotten some criticism to ban pro palestinian groups from florida colleges. some are saying you're violating free speech rights. you've stuck to that proposed ban that others are saying is illegal. what do you say? >> well, it's not just pro palestinian groups. students for justice in palestine, when the hamas attacks were perpetrated, they put out a statement saying we don't merely stand in solidarity with what happened, we're a part of this. so they have linked themselves to hamas in a way that takes them out of first amendment activity and it's effectively material support for terrorism when you link with a terrorism group. so that was really jarring to see in our own country. because we can look at the radicalism on college campuses. i joke. i'm one of the few guys that got through yale and harvard and came out more conservative than when i went in. that's not easy to do. i look back when i was there. you would not have seen students right on the heels of a terrorist attack go in and celebrate that. this is kind of a new sickness that we're seeing in more modern, more recent years in these college campuses. the question for us is this just something that we're going to let to metastasize or say no, making common cause with terrorist groups is a bridge too far. so what i also called for and as president i would do this, any of those students that are foreign students that are on student visas, if they're making common cause with hamas, i'd cancel the visa and send them back to their home country. >> neil: governor, i'd be curious to get your position on the various aid packages, this big one, $106 billion one that some democrats, some republicans are rallying around with the military aid for israel and ukraine. others in your party, particularly in the house have said go ahead and set aside funds for israel, hold off on ukraine. where are you on this? >> yeah, i don't think that there should be a big omnibus package. i think the house is right on this. i think what they're doing to provide robust support for israel while also paying for it is the way to go. israel is a great ally of ours. we're going to support their right to defend themselves. we have a longstanding military relationship. we will continue providing them support so that they can fight and win this war. we should all agree on that. the same time, we're 33 plus trillion in debt. when you're supporting israel, what the house did to say let's pair back in other areas, that represents sound judgment. that's what the congress should be doing when these things happen as a matter of course so my hope is that they can do the israel, get that done and i think that the american people low pressure actually be impressed for a change to see congress actually making decisions, actually having to set priorities and helping an ally while at the same time not continuing to bankrupt this country. >> neil: i only ask you are that in the context of the 2024 race. nikki haley has emerged as a strong polling favorite. she's tied with you in iowa. that has come really following her very tough talk on not only supporting israel and ukraine but backing them up and not debating the issue now. do you feel you're threading the needle on this is hurting you? that she's clear, you're not, she's gaining, you're not. she's seen as an acceptable number 2 to donald trump, you're not? actually, i have been much clearer on israel. i said from the beginning, no gaza refugees. she said that america has been able to separate terrorists from freedom fighters. that's what we have to do. she backtracked on that i've been very clear. no refugees. i've been very clear, cancelling students visas for pro hamas demonstrators. i've been very clear, no taxpayer money to hamas. they say it's humanitarian assistance. hamas will commandeer that and use that to advance terrorism, which is what they've been doing over a decade. so we've been leading on all of those issues. we've been standing very strong for the u.s.-israel relationship and we've set the debate in a way that has been very productive and other candidates have had to follow suit. her position on basically a blank check for ukraine, that is not popular with the republican voters. you know, the federal government has borrowed money to send to pay the salaries of ukrainian bureaucrats, the pension for ukrainian bureaucrats. if you look at israel, 75 years of a friendship, the u.s. in the last two years have done $125 billion. so those are different issues. i think that voters see them differently. that's a thing. as the president as commander-in-chief, you have to take each issue as you find it. you can't have a one size fits all solution to everything. we've been right on israel leading the way on that and will continue to do that and stand strong. >> neil: when it comes to ukraine, just to be clear, governor, putin might be a big threat, but for israel right now what near going through is a bigger threat? that's where you draw the line and the money that is spent in that regard? >> well, what i would say, neil, israel is one of our strongest allies. we have a unique relationship with them. i think we have a lot of allies in europe that have an interest in the russia-ukraine. europe needs to do more. poland has done a lot. others have lagged. the relationships are different in terms of that and our relationship with israel has really been one of the strongest relationships that we've had. that's a little bit different, of course, than what is going on in europe right now. but one thing that biden could do that would be helpful in both conflicts, two things, one energy production here at home. when we're energy dominant, that is bad for russian and china and iran. the other thing he can do is get more serious and the indopacific. china is getting a free ride. they love what is happening around the world. gives them the ability to pursue their interests in a way that u.s. deterrence probably isn't where it needs to be. so if he did those two things, i think it would help with the middle east and i think it would help with europe. the amount of money that china -- they're the main patron for russia. they're buying gas, they're buying all this other stuff. if russia didn't have that and we were competing with them in energy better, they would not continue to fund this indefinitely. >> neil: governor, you've been very patient. i know you have to go. you have been a closely watched candidate, always seen as the amount ternive to donald trump. i don't know in that holds on now with nikki haley and her surge. these are all polls to your point. i want to get a sense for you what you make of former vice president mike pence stepping out of the race. you talked in the past it would be a good idea to narrow this down to two or three people. if you don't emerge as one of those two to three, would you step out of this race? >> i am definitely going to be in the top. so we're ready for that. we're going to distance. people can make whatever decisions that they want. i respect the vice president's decision. i think he's a good man. i think he's served the conservative cause very well over a number of years. you know, i'm in it all the way. so you're going to be seeing a lot of me. >> neil: all right. even if you sink in the polls -- >> it's not about the polls. it's about -- >> neil: you have to win iowa, in other words. >> we're going to win iowa. it's important. obviously you need to win a majority of the delegates. that's the thing. the one thing i would point out, some of these polls, even the poll in iowa, it showed that i have the highest percentage of iowa caucus goers that are considering me, that would consider voting for me, even higher than donald trump. and that i had the highest net favorablety of any by a significant margin. our work in iowa has been good. we covered a lot of counties and got a lot of support that's been generated and created a good impression. now it's up to us over the next 80 days to bring that in for a landing. when people go to caucus that i'm the guy they're voting for. we start right now in this final stretch run. we are in the best position in terms of our view of the electorate. a lot of this stuff has not been glamorous. it's not gotten a lot of headlines. we're going to small counties and meeting people and shaking their hands and answers questions. that's what you should do. that's the way these things are won and lost. >> neil: got it. governor desantis, great catching up with you. be well. >> thank you. >> neil: all right. ron desantis, the governor of florida. presidential candidate. meantime here we're keeping track right now on these anti-semitic mobs that are popping all over the country. might be a free country, but to the presidential candidates point, how free should these protesters be? 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(♪) because with 3 medicines in 1 inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open for a full 24 hours and prevents future flare-ups. trelegy also improves lung function, so i can breathe more freely all day and night. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ [laughing] ask your doctor about once-daily trelegy for copd because breathing should be beautiful, all day and night. lowe's knows same-day delivery means getting what you need, right when you need it. holiday shopping got easier on affordable décor and more. you know you can get these all at once, right dad? the holidays got sweeter with same-day delivery. you got this. we got you. >> neil: a key development for israel today and a good one for the israelis trying to take out hamas commanders. they did take one out in gaza. mike tobin has more from southern israel. mike? >> it's been an intense and deadly day of fighting at the northern end of the gaza strip. two israeli soldiers were killed, two were injured. devastating images coming out of the refugee camp, which is to the north side of the gaza strip where you can see a giant crater in the middle of this densely populated urban area. the palestinian figures range from 40 people dead to 400 dead. israel says 50 people were killed. the reason you have the giant crater is that the air strikes struck a hamas tunnel and the tunnel collapsed. israel says they have a hamas commander that was killed. he was integral in planning and executing the massacre of october 7. they don't deny that there will be civilian casualties in this particular strike. put the responsibility on hamas for building infrastructure within the civilian population and for fighting from within the civilian population. >> they're using their people as human shields. >> also, the houthi rebels have fired a surface-to-surface mess sill that was taken out by the aero system. the houthis have claimed responsibility for the latest attack are backed by iran. hamas doing the fighting here in gaza, backed by iran. neil? >> neil: thanks, mike. i want to correct something that i was showing going into the break. this is at a russian airport. anti-semitic rioters waiting for people getting off a jewish flight. jeff flock with more. >> isaac herzog is reacting to the scene. hundreds of demonstrators storming the airport at the republic of dagestan. they were looking for passengers that just arrived from a plane from tel aviv. this is how anti-semitic protests can turn violent. they were trying to reach israeli passengers. nobody was injured. the regional law enforcement got things under control arresting more than 60 people. but herzog says this is a painful reminder that governments need to be on alert. >> hamas, al-quaida and isis are all there together wishing to ban us