Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on Sunday criticized the media for not holding former President Trump accountable for refusing to participate in the Republican primary debate.
In an interview on Fox News' “Media Buzz,” DeSantis criticized the former president's decision to cancel the upcoming Republican presidential debate between DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in Iowa on Wednesday. .
Meanwhile, Trump is scheduled to appear at a City Council meeting during the same time slot on FOX.
“Well, that's the thing. I mean, he could easily do it. If he's going to be in Iowa, he might have to show up and discuss and answer questions. And he could do that. They're just choosing not to,” DeSantis said when asked about President Trump's reverse programming move this coming Wednesday.
“He hasn't attended any debates. He doesn't do much campaigning. He's gotten a lot of coverage from the media, so he's, you know, gotten away with it so far.” I’m here.”
But DeSantis added, “I think ultimately it's going to hurt him on caucus night.”
Former President Trump is in the lead in the national Republican primary poll average from The Hill/Decision Desk Headquarters. Nationally, Trump has an approval rating of 64.1%, followed by Haley at 11.3% and DeSantis at 11%.
Trump's lead in Iowa has shrunk, but remains strong. Trump's approval rating is 51.6%, followed by DeSantis at 18% and Haley at 17.1%.
The Iowa caucuses kick off the 2024 presidential election and will be held on January 15th.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
