governor of florida Ron DeSantis After finishing second in Iowa on Monday night and moving the race to New Hampshire and South Carolina, questions are swirling about what the second-place finish means for the upcoming campaign.
On Monday night, Mr. DeSantis outperformed some poll expectations, finishing at about 21%, compared to 15.7% in the Real Clear Politics polling average before the vote. But in the state where Mr. DeSantis gave his campaign's time and resources “all in,” Mr. Trump won decisively with more than 50% of the vote, the largest margin of victory in the history of the Iowa caucuses.
The DeSantis campaign touted the performance by saying the Florida governor “got his ticket out of Iowa.”
Former ambassador Nikki Haley, who many experts believed was on the rise in Iowa and could finish ahead of DeSantis, finished in third place, a few points behind DeSantis.
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Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a “Never Back Down” campaign event in Keene, New Hampshire, United States, on November 21, 2023. (Reuters/Sophie Park/File photo)
“They threw everything at Ron DeSantis,” a senior member of the DeSantis campaign told Fox News Digital late Monday night. “They couldn't kill him. Not only is he still standing, he got a ticket out of Iowa. It's going to be a long fight, but that's what this campaign is about. .The stakes are too high for this country, and we will not back down. ”
In his speech Monday night, DeSantis struck a defiant tone toward his supporters.
“I can tell you this: because of your support, despite everything they threw at us, everyone against us, we got the ticket out of Iowa,” DeSantis said. said.
“It is our responsibility to carry this torch and protect this sacred flame of freedom, and we thank you for your efforts,” DeSantis said. Thank you for your support. You helped us get ticketed out of the Hawkeye State. We have a lot of work to do, but as the next president of the United States, I can say this much. I'm going to get the job done for this country. I am not making any excuses and I guarantee this. I won't let you down. “
Despite his close second-place finish, there are likely to be questions about whether Mr. DeSantis has the momentum and resources to compete with Mr. Trump in future states.
Kellyanne Conway, a former senior adviser to President Trump, told Fox News Monday night before the caucuses that DeSantis “should continue to consider whether he finishes second or third.”
Fox News chief political analyst Britt Hume said that historically, a second-place finish in Iowa has helped Republicans secure the nomination.
“You have to remember that No. 2 led a lot of guys to get drafted in Iowa, so finishing second in Iowa is worth it,” Hume said after results come out Monday night. he said. “There are a lot of places where that's not the case, and it won't be as much in future races, but here you just need to win second place to advance and you never know if you'll get the nomination or not.”
Partially on Social media Trump called on DeSantis and other candidates to withdraw from the race after he won an overwhelming and historic victory by nearly 30 points on Monday night.
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Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Waterloo, Iowa, on December 19, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Hours before the vote, Alex Conant, a founding partner at Firehouse Strategies and a Republican strategist, said: “The decision to drop out'' “This is the most difficult decision for a presidential candidate, no matter how obvious and rational it may seem, it is deeply personal and emotional,” he told Fox News Digital. It was cast in Iowa on Monday night.
“If DeSantis doesn't beat Trump tonight in Iowa, he won't beat Trump anywhere and his campaign is effectively over. But it's up to him to decide when to pull out. No one knows.”
DeSantis will hold two campaign events in South Carolina on Tuesday before heading to New Hampshire to campaign, but he has said multiple times that he will remain in the race regardless of Monday's results in Iowa. .
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Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at an election town hall in Rye, New Hampshire, on January 2, 2024. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
“This campaign is designed to be a long game,” Andrew Romeo, director of DeSantis Communications, said on January 12. “We're going to fight for every single delegate we can get in New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and through March, starting with Iowa on Monday.” Election campaigns will be in full swing on both sides. ”
“I hope Donald Trump is ready for a long, rough campaign to share Ron DeSantis' vision with the rest of the country. Here we go.”
Iowa awards delegates proportionally, so all four of the top candidates will receive delegates.
Trump currently has a large lead in polls in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. The former president has a 14-point lead in New Hampshire and a 30-point lead in South Carolina, according to Real Clear Politics polling averages.
The DeSantis campaign touted Haley's support in her home state of South Carolina, noting that Haley makes more money than she does.
“Even though South Carolina is Nikki Haley’s home state, DeSantis has already built an impressive grassroots organization,” a campaign spokesperson recently told Fox News Digital. “He has the support of 74 current and former elected officials, compared to only 14 for Haley, compared to 19 for DeSantis in the state House of Representatives.” It is.”
