Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, who finished second in Monday's Iowa caucuses, said the negativity surrounding the loss was “just part of business.”
“It’s just its nature.” DeSantis Said On Friday, he was asked by Fox News host Neil Kabuto how he felt afterward. “But if you look at Iowa State, you can say we did it right.”
“So we have the approval of the governor,” he continued. “We won the debates. We had the Miami debate, the Newsom debate, the NewsNation debate, the CNN debate, and the televised City Hall, and we had a huge response.”
Mr. Kabuto interrupted the Florida governor and claimed that he did not receive the necessary response.
“But you didn't,” the Fox News host said. “We didn’t win a single county.”
DeSantis responded by saying his campaign had been forced into an “uphill battle.”
“We investigated thoroughly, we executed, we ran hard,” the Republican candidate said. “We did well.”
Former President Trump, the current Republican front-runner, easily won the Iowa caucuses on Monday, winning 98 of the state's 99 counties. Despite coming in second overall, ahead of Haley, a former South Carolina governor, Haley was able to garner the support of one countywide candidate.
According to election results from The Hill/Decision Desk headquarters, Mr. DeSantis won 21.2% of the vote in the Hawkeye State, trailing Mr. Trump by almost 30 points with 51% of the vote. Haley came in third place with 19.1% of the vote.
The news comes as voters in the Granite State prepare for next week's first national primary.
DeSantis currently holds a 5.8 percent approval rating in New Hampshire polling average from The Hill/Decision Desk. Trump still leads in the state with 45.6%, but Haley leads Trump with 35%.
President Trump slammed DeSantis at a rally in the state on Friday, calling his presidential campaign “one of the greatest self-destructions I think we've ever witnessed.”
“No, the polls just came out. Desanctus is at 4 o'clock. What happened to this guy?” he said, using the nickname he has used for the Florida governor throughout his 2024 campaign.
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