- Ron DeSantis said Iowans can defy polls showing Trump with a massive victory
- It has also been claimed that the media is contributing to the surge by being “lenient” on Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling on Iowans to end the “self-fulfilling prophecy” of a Donald Trump victory in 2024 – claiming it is within the “power” of caucus-goers to do so to oppose polls.
The 2024 candidate said the media helped boost Trump by being “relatively light” on the former president compared to coverage in 2016 and 2020.
“I really believe it's within Iowa's power to turn this all on its head,” DeSantis told an audience at a town hall in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday when asked why he believes candidates other than Trump is having difficulty gaining a foothold in the polls.
“I think it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy,” the Florida governor added. “I mean, the media loves to cover polls all the time.”
Former President Trump is still dominating national polls – although his lead is shrinking significantly in New Hampshire, where former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley climbed to second place by just single digits.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday at a Fox News town hall in West Des Moines that Iowa caucus voters can end the “self-fulfilling prophecy” of a Donald Trump victory
From left: Iowa Evangelical Chairman Bob Vander Plaats, Casey DeSantis with his five-year-old son Mason, and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) sit in the front row of Governor DeSantis' town hall in West Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday evening
He said Trump remains at the top because of media coverage, among other things.
“I think there's a reason the media was lenient on him,” he said Tuesday at his town hall with Fox News hosts Martha McCallum and Bret Baier. “They used to hate him. He was the worst thing ever.'
DeSantis maintains that Democrats want 2024 to be about Trump's legal troubles, not his presidential record. “I think they want 2024 to be all about these things,” he said.
“Ultimately, it’s the people who decide this, not the polls,” emphasized DeSantis.
The town hall was the second of three meetings in Iowa with Fox News – the first was Monday night with Nikki Haley and the third will be Wednesday with Donald Trump as the other two candidates debate across town.
DeSantis flew back to Iowa City Hall from Florida on Tuesday evening after delivering his State of the State address in Tallahassee earlier in the day
During a commercial break at City Hall, DeSantis' son Mason, 5, ran onto the stage to share a moment with his father
DeSantis flew back to Iowa after spending the start of the week in Tallahassee, Florida, where he delivered his State of the State address on Tuesday morning before flying back to Des Moines for City Hall.
Meanwhile, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis remained in Iowa with Texas Rep. Chip Roy to continue campaigning for governor.
At City Hall, DeSantis noted that his wife and 5-year-old son, Mason, were knocking on the door in the snow while he was in Florida.
Casey and Mason were in the audience at the town hall on Tuesday.