DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Ron DeSantis Hammers Nikki Haley for Refusing to Commit to Next Debate in Iowa

"I think if you're not willing to debate in Iowa on the eve of the caucus, that shows the voters a lot about you, and about your willingness to engage on these issues."

Tallahassee, FL - During a virtual press conference with Iowa media today, Ron DeSantis hammered Nikki Haley for refusing to commit to the next Republican Presidential Primary debate in Iowa on January 10.

"I've committed to [the debate]. I don't know that either Donald Trump or Nikki Haley have been willing to commit to do a debate. I think if you're not willing to debate in Iowa on the eve of the caucus, that shows the voters a lot about you, and about your willingness to engage on these issues. So I want to debate. I'll be there," DeSantis said. "I think people in Iowa are catching on to this, Haley really represents the failed political establishment of yesteryear... Certainly, in a one-on-one debate, we would be able to really see that contrast very sharply. And I think it would be a contrast that would benefit me vis-a-vis Nikki Haley in terms of these Iowa caucus voters."

Additional highlights from the event are below.

Watch the full virtual press conference here.

On why there should be a debate in Iowa:

We're hoping that there's going to be a debate in Iowa in January. I've committed to it. I don't know that either Donald Trump or Nikki Haley have been willing to commit to do a debate. I think if you're not willing to debate in Iowa on the eve of the caucus, that shows the voters a lot about you, and about your willingness to engage on these issues. So I want to debate. I'll be there. We did the town hall last night on CNN. We're hoping to be able to do some with some other media outlets as well. Ultimately, you got to show up, and you got to answer people's questions. And that's what we've been doing, and that's what we're going to continue to do all the way up until caucus night. But the notion that you just don't show up and you don't answer questions, you're not willing to debate, that's going to be meaningful to a lot of voters because ultimately it's about them, and it's about them being able to make the best decision about who they want to see as the candidate going forward for the Republican Party.

On why Nikki Haley is afraid to debate and defend her liberal agenda:

I think people in Iowa are catching on to this- Haley really represents the failed political establishment of yesteryear. I think if you look at the positions she's taken talking about doxing people on social media, she said on her first day in office, 'I want your names,' for people that are using social media. But we know, as conservatives, that's been used for cancel culture, it's been used to malign conservatives. People have lost jobs and stuff because of those types of attacks. And so that's a total abuse of government. We would never indulge in anything like that. She also said that having a limit on immigration was wrong, that you talk to CEOs and let them import who they want. But we know that some of these CEOs, they would import cheap labor to undercut American workers, and that would not be good for American wages. And so that's more of a corporatist position that she's taken. She even refused to join support Florida's legislation -- I know Iowa's worked on this -- to not have these gender surgeries on the minors. I signed the bill. She said the law shouldn't have anything to do with it. So I think on issue after issue -- and then you look at some of the people that are supporting her, liberal executives on Wall Street, rallying people from these big banks who were very liberal Democrats, people that have supported Hillary Clinton in the past, big people out in California who've been very, very liberal, very hostile to Donald Trump when he was president, for example, that really is par for the course for a candidate who has said the reason she got into politics was because of Hillary Clinton and not Ronald Reagan, not Margaret Thatcher, but Hillary Clinton. So I think that that says a lot. I think people are starting to see that. But certainly, a one-on-one debate, we would be able to really see that contrast very sharply. And I think it would be a contrast that would benefit me vis-a-vis Nikki Haley in terms of these Iowa caucus voters.

On his leadership philosophy:

I'm not a ruler. I'm a servant. I'm also understanding about my role as a parent of a first grader, kindergartener, and a preschooler. My wife and I both believe that we have the responsibility to be good role models for our kids. And that's what drives us. But I think that that's exemplified in how you conduct yourself in office, how you conduct yourself as a candidate, how you conduct yourself as president of the United States. I want people to know that supporting me as president, that when I get up there, obviously, I'm going to take care of business, but I'm going to be able to conduct myself in a way they're going to be able to be proud of. They're not going to have to make excuses for me. I'll go, I'll lead, we'll execute, get the job done, and we'll do it in a way that I think really aims higher.

On moving the US Department of Agriculture to Iowa:

Iowa will have first dibs on the Department of Agriculture. We'll work with the people in Iowa to see what they would want and how they would want to do it. But what I'd like to see is, if you have an agency like USDA, I'd like to see it staffed by people who have a familiarity with what's going on in places like Iowa, that understand what they're doing in terms of agriculture and farming. And they're not just pointy headed bureaucrats that are imposing an agenda without having any concept of how that's actually impacting people's daily lives and their professions. And so I think it's going to be more than just agriculture. We want to really look to get power outside of Washington. And if Iowa doesn't want it, we'll offer it to others, but I think a lot of people think it'd be a good idea.

On his momentum in Iowa and the upcoming caucus:

We have tens of thousands of caucus commitments. We're adding more, a bunch every day. More and more people are starting to make decisions. This is something that breaks late. In that poll, you know, to the extent that people are going to take that, 46% haven't made up their mind entirely. And so there's a lot of nominal Trump supporters who have not fully decided to go with him and are open to another candidate. And that's what we're seeing on the ground. And yes, so it's already helped us because of the amount of people that we already have committed to caucus for us. And we're going to continue to add that, so we're going to go into this caucus with a huge base of support, and there's a lot of enthusiasm about what people are seeing on the ground, so we're excited about it.