DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Ron DeSantis on Morning Radio

"I'm the only candidate at this point that's not running effectively a basement campaign, because Biden obviously is nowhere to be found as expected, Trump doesn't debate or take questions, and now Nikki Haley won't debate or take questions from voters."

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Ron DeSantis today joined Salem Radio's The Hugh Hewit Show and Good Morning New Hampshire with Jack Heath. The highlights are below.

Listen to the full interview with Hugh Hewitt HERE.

On Nikki Haley's failure to impress her own home state:

I was on the ground doing town halls in New Hampshire the last two days. Nikki Haley cannot compete with Donald Trump there. And the fact that she can't do it there, she can't do it anywhere. She's certainly not going to do it in South Carolina. I did a rally a week. We had town halls Tuesday afternoon and evening, one on CNN scheduled for the day after Iowa. So I had the morning where we were basically just gotta get a little bit of recuperation. But I was like, You know what, let's just let's just use that time. So we went to South Carolina and did a rally, like 1000 people. I said, 'Hey, can you tell me what were the major accomplishments of Nikki Haley when she was governor?' I did not have anyone raise their hand. That is not going to be a state that is conducive.

On his opposition to Biden's recent spending deal:

It should be dead on arrival. We have an unprecedented crisis at our border where we've had over 8 million people come in illegally from all over the world, including from hostile nations with hostile populations. And yet, Biden is basically just green lighting it. When he's asked for money in the past, it hasn't been to stop the illegal immigration. It's been to process more illegals. And we're now in a situation where New York City is closing down a school, sending the kids home so they can commandeer it to house illegal aliens. It's crazy. And of course, this has made us vulnerable to terrorist attacks. So I think the Republicans should insist on the border problem being solved. I mean, I do think that that means border wall. But I also think that that means cleaning up the legal language that has allowed him to abuse his power like parole, and the like, and they should just hold firm. The public is with the Republicans on this. This is Biden's issue of all the issues that he's handling, and he's unpopular on most, this one is like the worst. He's got the worst ratings that any President has ever had on immigration and the border, you guys can win this fight just hold firm.

Listen to the full interview with Jack Heath HERE.

On how Donald Trump and Nikki Haley are running basement campaigns:

I mean, Nikki spent an ungodly amount of money. You know, in New Hampshire, that was not our strategy. Our strategy was, you know, really do well in Iowa. And then New Hampshire was a momentum state. Obviously, Trump did well in Iowa. And so I think he's benefiting. I don't think Nikki has any chance against Trump in New Hampshire. So that's just kind of the way the cookie crumbles. But I do think that the voters really take the first of the nation seriously. I'm the only candidate at this point that's not running effectively a basement campaign, because Biden obviously has nowhere to be found as expected. Trump doesn't debate or take questions. And now Nikki Haley won't debate or take questions from voters. And so I was scheduled to do the WMUR debate tonight with ABC and no one else agreed to do it. And then the last few days, I've been in New Hampshire taking questions from voters, taking as many as I can get in in the allotted timeframe. I think that's what Granite Staters expect. And I think when they see candidates like Nikki, who's basically hiding from the voters at this point, giving remarks than just getting off the stage and not debating, I do think that that registers with them because I think they take their responsibility seriously, to probe these candidates, to vet the candidates and to kick the tires. And what happens is, you know, like Chris Christie said, when on the hot mic, you know, she's just not up to this. And I think the fact that she's not willing to do that is a really bad sign for her. I do think it'll hurt her in New Hampshire, because I think the voters expect it.

On why he is running:

The country is at a time for choosing and we gotta get it right. And we need somebody that can win like I want in Florida. But then more importantly than that, deliver on these on these issues, all the stuff we talked about border, crime, inflation, budget, all the things that Republicans have wanted to do for years, and quite frankly, Donald Trump promised to do and didn't deliver on it. So now is the time for choosing. I think this is the election. I've never run for things because I'm trying to earn a position. I've run for things because I want to do something on behalf of the people I represent. So when people say oh, you can wait, well, I don't know what 28 is gonna look like then I may not have the calling, then. I had the calling now. I think that the party supporting me would lead to great results over an eight year period and a legacy that would last a quarter century. So you have to do that. Obviously with Trump in, it's more difficult and I take these polls with a grain of salt like you do, but you know, the polls, when they have him up big nationally, when they take him out, you know, we run away with it in terms of in terms of the other Republicans. And so you know, I think you got it you got to do what you got to do. I've been taking it from all sides. But you know what, I'm still here.