Share this @internewscast.com

The Florida governor reserved significant criticism for former President Donald Trump in the interview as well. He also spoke about Thursday’s school shooting in Iowa, said his campaign is in the 2024 primary for a “long process,” and detailed how Trump’s upcoming trials will affect the 2024 election and his faith in the Iowa and national election systems.

But the sharp comments on Haley reflect how DeSantis has gotten drawn into competition with her in Iowa in recent months, including an expensive TV ad war featuring their allied super PACs, while Trump has maintained a consistent polling lead there ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses.

Asked to name one state where DeSantis could predict a victory in the next few months, he responded, “We’re going to be able to win a lot of states.”

He added later that “to say that we’ve put all the eggs [in one basket] is not true. We have great organization and field programs in the early states. And we’re going to compete in all of them.”

In Iowa, DeSantis charged that Haley is not conservative enough for the state.

More of the interview will air on “Meet the Press NOW” as a part of NBC News and The Des Moines Register’s “Closing Arguments: Iowa” series. Watch at 4 p.m. Thursday on NBC News NOW.

“Nikki Haley can’t get conservative voters. She’s playing for voters who are not even core Republicans,” DeSantis said.

At the same time, DeSantis accused Haley of running to be the vice president, saying, “She’s the darling of the Never Trumpers. And yet, when she’s asked, ‘Okay, will you just categorically put this to bed and say you will not accept the vice presidential nomination,’ she will not answer that question.”

Still, DeSantis denied that he’s in a race for second place with Haley, claiming that he’s the only candidate who can beat Trump for the GOP nomination.

“They wouldn’t be spending that money if we weren’t the top. I’m the only one that has a chance to beat Trump and win the general election,” he said.

While DeSantis hammered Haley, he also bashed Trump for not showing up to the Hawkeye State enough ahead of the Jan. 15 caucus.

“We think Iowans appreciate when you go to all 50, or all 99 counties, and you show up, and you answer questions. I’m the only one that’s done that. I mean, Donald Trump will not go answer questions. He won’t even participate in debates,” DeSantis said.

The Florida governor also said that as the Republican nominee, he could focus on policy issues facing American voters, rather than the legal cases facing Trump.

“Practically speaking, Republican voters just have to look at this and say, ‘Okay, do we want the election to be about the issues that the American people are facing?'” DeSantis said, adding, “Do we want to be able to hold Biden and the Democrats’ feet to the fire for their failures and offer a way to a better future for Americans? Or do we want the election to be about Donald Trump’s conduct, about Jan. 6, about criminal cases and all this?”

Still, DeSantis didn’t spell out a clear path to victory for the Republican nomination if he fails to win the Iowa caucuses. But he did predict the campaign would be “a long process” that he would win in the end.

“We can have a lot of great organizations throughout Super Tuesday. So you’re going to see this is very dynamic. You’re going to see it’s a long process. And we’re going to be able to win,” DeSantis said.

Trump as a general election distraction

DeSantis expanded on his case that Trump as the nominee would turn the 2024 election into more litigation of his legal woes.

Additionally, DeSantis asserted that in a general election against President Joe Biden, having Trump on the ballot would incentivize Democrats to turn out and vote.

“He does a better job inspiring Democrats to come out to vote than Democrat candidates are able to do, and I think that’s one of the reasons why Biden and the Democrats want to run against Trump,” DeSantis said.

With Trump as the nominee, DeSantis argued, the election would be a referendum on Trump.

“Just practically speaking, you don’t want the election to be a referendum on Donald Trump and all these issues from the past,” he said.


No new federal action to address shootings

In the wake of a school shooting in Iowa on Thursday, DeSantis repeatedly declined to identify whether there was a federal policy that he would change to make shootings less common.

“We obviously, you know, have a responsibility to create safe environments. The federal government is probably not going to be leading that effort,” DeSantis said.

He added that the issue is more about mental health than about guns.

“That’s an underlying sickness in society. And I think that involves things like mental health.”

Jan. 6 anniversary

Ahead of the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, DeSantis downplayed the severity of the event, saying, “I know that this is a, like, Christmas Day for the media to talk about Jan. 6. I know it’s a big deal in a lot of the corporate outlets. I get that. I’ve not had a single question in Iowa about Jan. 6.”

He blamed “the left” for politicizing the event, adding, “I’m not going to spend time, you know, in my campaign either now or in the general election talking about rehashing that.”

And, looking forward, DeSantis said he was confident in Iowa’s election system and mocked Trump for not accepting the results of his 2016 caucus loss.

But DeSantis did not commit to accepting the results of the 2024 presidential election if Biden wins. 

“If it was a transparent victory, obviously you accept the results. But I don’t know what Democrats have up their sleeve,” DeSantis said.

“I mean, what, you’re saying if there was fraud, I’m just supposed to turn a blind eye? No, I’m not going to do that,” he added.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Therapist sitting in front of hyperbaric chambers.

Therapist, 43, Tragically Perishes in Fiery Blaze Inside Oxygen Chamber After Sudden Fire at His Clinic

A PHYSICAL therapist has been burned alive inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber…
Jake Paul's message to Ben Askren after his former opponent's health scare

Jake Paul Sends Message to Ben Askren Following Health Scare

Jake Paul is praising former opponent Ben Askren as “one of the…
2025 Saturn retrograde in Aries, Pisces: Zodiac signs most affected

Zodiac Signs Most Influenced by the 2025 Saturn Retrograde in Aries and Pisces

Gather round, folks — formative, punishing daddy planet Saturn, AKA the true lord…
Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference.

Starmer and Macron Reveal Agreement to Send Back 50 Migrants Weekly from Boats to France

SIR Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron announced today a one-in-one-out arrangement to…
Yeah, The ‘Always Sunny’ / ‘Abbott Elementary’ Crossover Features Quinta Brunson Calling Dee a ‘Total F**king C**t,’ What About It?

Unexpected ‘Always Sunny’ and ‘Abbott Elementary’ Crossover: Quinta Brunson’s Bold Insult to Dee!

If the It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Abbott Elementary crossover is…
Military amphibious vehicles in the water.

Observe as a Massive Fleet of New Chinese ‘Tank Boats’ Takes to the Water Amid Taiwan’s Largest War Drills Yet

DRAMATIC footage captures a fleet of Chinese tank boats charging through the…
US to revoke visas for some Chinese students

Impending Layoffs Anticipated at the State Department

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people would be dismissed. WASHINGTON D.C.,…
SBU Colonel Ivan Voronych, 50, was shot dead by a masked assassin in Kyiv

Putin Supporters Celebrate Bold Daytime Assassination of Ukrainian Spy Chief, Hint at Kremlin Involvement

VLADIMIR Putin’s associates have openly celebrated the bold assassination of the Ukrainian…
Native Hawaiian man could face longer prison sentence after conviction for hate crime against white man

Hawaiian Man May Receive Extended Sentence for Hate Crime Conviction Against White Man

A Native Hawaiian man who had been found guilty of a hate…
Nigel Farage on a boat, pointing towards a distant ship.

Farage Criticizes Macron’s Migrant Agreement, Claims It Pulls the UK Back Towards the EU

NIGEL Farage last night blasted Emmanuel Macron for blaming the small boats…
Former public school teacher, 33, charged after 'prolonged pattern of abuse' with teen boy

Ex-public school teacher, 33, faces charges for ‘extended abuse’ involving teenage boy

A former South Carolina teacher was charged with having a prolonged inappropriate…
FBI arrests self-proclaimed hate crime victim for allegedly setting deadly house fire

FBI Detains Alleged Hate Crime Victim Accused of Setting Fatal House Fire

The FBI in Houston, Texas, has recently reported the arrest of a…