DeSantis: Lack of GOP enthusiasm ‘a huge warning sign’ for party

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) warned on Tuesday that there was a “lack of enthusiasm” among Republican voters in last week's Iowa caucuses, and the decline in appeal among moderates could lead to a decline in the Republican Party's chances in 2024. He warned that this was a “huge red flag” for Hope.

The governor withdrew from the Republican presidential race on Sunday after a poor performance in the caucuses, finishing in second place, far behind former President Trump.

“It's a problem when people who voted for Reagan in '76 and have been conservative their whole lives come to me and say they never want to vote for Trump again,” DeSantis said in the paper. Tuesday's BlazeTV interviewfor the first time since leaving the race.

Voter turnout in the Iowa caucuses is much lower than in 2016, only 110,000 people attended the caucuses, compared to 187,000 eight years ago. Weather was to blame, with record-low temperatures hampering participation, but DeSantis felt there was an even bigger problem.

“I think there's a problem with enthusiasm across the board, and I think some voters think we have to find a way to get that enthusiasm back at this point,” he continued.

The governor criticized the media, arguing that they made Trump's victory seem “inevitable,” a belief that had a negative impact on his campaign.

“We started noticing this in the fall. Voters who caucused in 2016 and people who attended previous caucuses were saying at the polls that they thought the caucuses were definitely I said I didn’t do it,” DeSantis said. “[The voters] They don't want to see Trump nominated again, but they were basically told it was inevitable and that it was over. ”

DeSantis supported Trump after he withdrew from the group, despite campaigning against him for months. He predicted that the number of voters who “checked out” would increase over time as Trump wins primary states.

“These are the voters we need to be competitive,” he said.

The governor made similar comments in an interview published Monday, just before wrapping up his campaign. He accused the media of making President Trump's support appear stronger than it really is and reducing turnout for other candidates.

“I think the reality is this. [Trump] He's not in the mood for discussion. He has not actively answered questions from voters. “He's basically running a basement campaign,” he said. “And so far he's gotten away with it because I don't think he's been beaten by the media for it.”