Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is still in the running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, despite facing numerous attacks from his opponents.
Last night he addressed a crowd at his caucus watch party in Des Moines, recounting the challenges faced by his campaign. “They threw everything but the kitchen sink at us,” he said, adding that his opponents had spent over $50 million attacking him and that the media had written off his campaign months ago.
Despite the hurdles, DeSantis emerged victorious in the Iowa caucuses, coming in second behind former President Donald Trump, who received 51% of the vote. DeSantis earned 21%, edging out former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s 19%. This win is a significant achievement for DeSantis, who had focused his campaign efforts on Iowa in hopes of gaining momentum in the rest of the country.
According to a senior campaign official, the attacks against DeSantis only made him stronger. “They couldn’t kill him,” the official remarked, adding that their campaign was built for the long haul. DeSantis himself acknowledged the challenges they faced but credited his supporters for helping him overcome them.
Although DeSantis’s win is a major triumph, his path forward is still complicated. He faces an uphill battle in New Hampshire, where his polling numbers have been low. Winning the caucus in Iowa was crucial to building the necessary momentum for his campaign, but he is aware that the fight ahead will be difficult.
Despite the challenges, DeSantis’s team is confident that they have what it takes to secure the nomination. They are prepared for a long and grueling battle, with the stakes for the country being too high to back down. DeSantis has proven that he is a formidable opponent, and the fight to win the nomination will undoubtedly be intense.
