WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis drew a sharp contrast between himself and former President Donald Trump after the former president recently quipped that the state would benefit from the economic collapse.
Without mentioning Trump by name, DeSantis insisted that he wants the country's economy to prosper, even though the former president predicts financial collapse.
“I don't want the economy to collapse because people's lives depend on it,” DeSantis said Tuesday when asked about President Trump's comments during a short chat after a Fox News town hall.
“If the economy collapses, people will lose their jobs and businesses will go bankrupt. I don't want to see that. I want people to do well. That's what we did in Florida. ”
In an interview aired Monday, President Trump reflected on what the economic downturn could mean politically.
“I don't want to be Herbert Hoover, so when the crash happens, I hope it happens in the next 12 months. Only President, I don't want to be Herbert Hoover. ” President Trump said on Lindell TV.
President Biden has sought to use his economic record to tout so-called “Bidenomics,” an emphasis on low unemployment and falling inflation, at campaign events.
Republicans, including Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis, have mocked Mr. Biden's record and blamed him for rampant inflation that hit the middle class in the early days of his administration.
During his press conference, DeSantis also touched on some of the issues that came up during a town hall with Iowa voters.
He downplayed concerns that it would alienate potential voters who are friendly to Trump, suggesting the 45th president has too much baggage to win over the general.
“If you remember the 2022 midterm election results, we had the best midterm election situation as a Republican, probably the most advantageous we've had in my lifetime,” DeSantis said.
“There's a lot of people who want to vote Republican. But I think there's a lot of things you can't do like Trump,” he continued.
Asked if he supported expanding access to contraceptives, DeSantis said he would make them available without a prescription.
“We think it should be sold over the counter. We don't think a prescription is needed. And the Florida Department of Health sterilizes about 100,000-plus people a year,” DeSantis said. he answered.
He will face off against former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley in a CNN debate on Wednesday.
During the press conference, DeSantis broke his final message that he is the most electable presidential candidate.
“You can't win as a Republican if you don't stand for anything. You have to have core beliefs,” he stressed. “She ran for re-election in South Carolina, one of the reddest states in the country, in 2014, when the Republican Party was on the rise.”
“She underperformed almost every Republican in the polls, like Tim Scott, and that’s quite a bit,” he continued, alongside a re-election bid in Florida for the 2022 cycle.
Mr. DeSantis was flanked by Bob Vander Plaats, a prominent Christian evangelical leader from Iowa, and Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas), both of whom supported Mr. DeSantis.
The kickoff for the 2024 Iowa Republican Caucus is scheduled for next Monday.
