DeSantis Campaign Press Release - What They Are Saying: DeSantis Won the Debate

Tallahassee, FL - Washington Post/Ipsos poll finds DeSantis won the debate:

"33 percent say Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had the best performance"

"DeSantis is the only candidate who had a majority rate him positively for his performance in the second debate." "One thing that did not seem to compete for attention from Republican primary voters? The speech former president Donald Trump gave in Michigan. The poll found 13 percent watched his speech versus 32 percent who watched the debate."

Christian Whiton: "Through it all, DeSantis stayed above the fray and---shockingly---spoke when it was his turn... DeSantis came up on top, letting experience speak in lieu of hypotheticals. As someone who has worn a military uniform---the only one on stage to have done so---he spoke from authority about the need to conserve American national power and focus on the threat from China's communist government. He alone also identified the China threat as not just economic and military, but political as well, noting he had shut down Chinese political warfare instruments like Confucius Institutes on Florida campuses."

Carly Atchison, National Spokeswoman:

"Trump's campaigning from his basement, essentially, this is not the same Donald Trump from 2016. And so what we are focused on is getting our message to the American people like last night in the debate, and then also taking it directly to the ground in Iowa in New Hampshire. One thing I want to point out from that recent poll at CBS, there are more likely Iowa caucus goers who are definitely not supporting Trump and are only supporting Trump. What does that mean? nearly 80% of those likely caucus goers are going to vote for somebody other than Donald Trump. So the idea that this race is completely in the lock for Trump is just not true. And so look, we're going to continue to work all the way up until January 15. We've got the best ground game in Iowa. He's the only candidate Ron DeSantis, who is committed to visit all 99 counties. And so again, we are in this for the long haul."

Chicks on the Right: "Desantis with a great reminder about his RESULTS and ACHIEVEMENTS. He has shown he can have the fights, win the fights, and fulfill promises. #gopdebate"

Liz Peek: Second Republican debate: Here's the biggest winner

The winner of the evening was Gov. Ron DeSantis.. The audience was reminded of his achievements and why the Florida governor is running second in the GOP primary polls.

Newsweek: Winner: DeSantis

"DeSantis attacked Trump for skipping the debate, but also for his economic record. He hit Trump's record on the national debt, laying out a vision for a more fiscally conservative plan, a key priority for conservative voters. He showed a new willingness to directly go up against the frontrunner as he seeks to cast the primary as a two-person race."

"Meanwhile, he defended his record on several of his most conservative policies as governor, including his firing of progressive prosecutors in Florida and his educational policies, painting himself as the candidate best suited to bring a conservative vision to the entire country."

"'In the state of Florida, because of our success, the Democratic Party lies in ruins,' he said. 'We have won the big fights. We have turned our state into a Republican state. People respond to leadership. I've done it, while others have talked about it.'"

Jose Oliva, National Spokesman:

"We're looking forward to these debates narrowing down. There's a great deal of people on that stage looking to have a breakout moment that likely don't have a path. And so certainly, it makes some of these debates a little bit hectic and a little bit difficult to watch. But having said that, you still find in the last debate, in this debate, in every interview, there's one person on that stage that made bold promises when they first ran for office as governor of Florida, and that delivered on all of those promises. There's one person on that stage, then when he was dealt the hand of a national pandemic, a real crisis, leaned heavily on his principles, and governed by them. They weren't popular at the time, but he did it. And I think when he speaks at these debates, you see someone that speaks from a place of authority because they know it, and they've done it."

Jon Schweppe: "From my perspective, DeSantis won the debate tonight. He managed to stay above the fray during the debate's chaotic beginning and managed some good lines within the crosstalk. His attack on Trump for being "missing-in-action" landed well --- the debate no-shows likely won't go over well with GOP voters who are now starting to tune in, especially in early primary states. His stated position on Ukraine was most in line with what GOP voters actually believe. He also had some great red meat answers with specifics, including on abortion, where he committed to a 15-week limit on abortion at the federal level. All of that should certainly help him connect with voters who are still figuring out what to think of him."

Fox Business Voter Panel: "I think from my vantage point, there was a clear separation from the pack, and I think Ron DeSantis made that clear separation absolutely. For me, he ended up talking substance, which was lacking with the other candidates I think that he was able to hit key points. I think he used his airtime very wisely and I think that he hit to the core of the key concerns of me personally."