DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Ron DeSantis on KFAB Radio's Morning News with Gary Sadlemyer

"I think it was incredibly disrespectful to Iowans to say somehow their votes need to be "corrected." I think she [Nikki Haley] is trying to provide an excuse for her not doing well."

DES MOINES, Iowa – Ron DeSantis today joined Gary Sadlemyer live on KFAB's Morning news. The highlights are below.

Listen to the full interview HERE.

On Nikki Haley saying that Iowans' votes need to be "corrected":

I think it was incredibly disrespectful to Iowans to say somehow their votes need to be "corrected." I think she's trying to provide an excuse for her not doing well. You know, her allies and her have spent huge amount of money here. A lot of this money is coming from liberal donors on Wall Street and California. These are people that have supported Liberal Democrats in the past, and they're gravitating to Nikki Haley because they know she's not going to change anything in Washington. She's been governor for six years. What achievements did she have in South Carolina? Literally nothing. Her main achievement was being the number one Republican governor for bringing Chinese investment into her state. It's a huge contrast to a leadership of Governor Reynolds or myself. But I thought what she said to Iowans was very disrespectful. It was also coming on the heels of, just the other day, she confused the basketball star Caitlin Clark with a CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins. And I'm just thinking to myself, like, you know, you're just doing that. I'm actually doing a town hall on CNN tonight, and Kaitlan Collins is the moderator of it. And maybe I'll congratulate her on that buzzer-beater the other night.

On his main message to Iowa voters:

Donald Trump is running on his issues. Nikki Haley's running for her donors' issues. I'm running for your issues and your family's issues, and to turn this country around. I'm the only candidate that can say I've delivered on 100% of my promises as governor of Florida. I'm also the only candidate that can say all the things that Republicans have been complaining about with the political left, I beat these people on issue after issue, whether it's beating the teachers' unions for school choice, whether it's beating the left by banning China from buying land in Florida, whether it's beating Soros on crime by removing these progressive left prosecutors, or whether it's beating Fauci on COVID. So we're at a situation now where our country is on the wrong track. We need a president that's going to be able to come in there, turn it around, but actually deliver all these results. Because we've been talking about the border, we've been talking about a lot of these issues for years and years. And yet, it doesn't seem to get done. I will get the job done. I'm proud to be endorsed by Governor Kim Reynolds. And I think if you look at the great work she's done in Iowa, there's a lot of similarities to what we've done in Florida. And I think the way Iowa and Florida have approached all these issues over the last few years, that's the template for Republican success nationally. You remember in 2022, there was supposed to be a big red wave, Republican wave. That fizzled. That crashed and burned. The only places where you saw the wave were Iowa and Florida, and that was because we had strong conservative leadership delivering big results for the people we represent.

On his strong organization and ground game ahead of the Iowa Caucuses:

We have organized all 99 counties. We have over 1500 precinct captains that are going to be in each individual precinct. We're going to have these people and others speaking on our behalf. So we have probably the best organization that anyone's been able to do. And we did that intentionally because, historically, that is how you do well in the Iowa caucus. The people that just swoop in and do a rally here or there, people that just spend gobs of money on television, that typically doesn't work. So you got to do that. So we have done that organization. But what's been helpful about building the organization is I'm the only candidate that's gone to all 99 counties. I'm showing up. I'm answering questions everywhere. A lot of these other candidates aren't willing to do that. I mean, obviously, Donald Trump won't answer questions at all and won't debate. Nikki Haley only answers scripted questions, usually that are planted in the audience. And so we've done it right. And I think you're going to see that come to fruition on caucus night.