WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed supporters Monday night after placing second in the Iowa caucuses behind former President Donald Trump, arguing that “his ticket was eliminated from Iowa.”
“They threw everything at us except the kitchen sink. “They spent almost 15 million dollars attacking us… They even called elections before people had the opportunity to vote,” the governor began.
“I am not going to make any excuses and I guarantee you one thing: I will not let you down.”
DeSantis entered the election with polls predicting he would place third behind Trump and Nikki Haley. The governor managed to get second place, behind Trump’s overwhelming first place.
DeSantis’s main backer and evangelical leader, Bob Vander Plaats, said, “you draw two tickets” from Iowa and DeSantis will have the opportunity to continue.
Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis joins his wife Casey DeSantis at their Iowa caucus watch party in West Des Moines, Iowa, January 15, 2024. REUTERS
The Sunshine State’s longtime leader had said he would “win” the Iowa caucuses because of his strong organization and running game. He had visited all 99 counties in the state and engaged in grassroots retail politics in an attempt to sway voters.
Everything you need to know about the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses
Over the weekend, DeSantis continued to push, running across the state and holding multiple events a day amid blizzard conditions.
His campaign argued that his organization, amid bad weather and possible lower turnout in the caucus, would give the results a boost.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during his caucus night watch party in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., Jan. 15, 2024. AP Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at his caucus night event on January 15, 2024 in West Des Moines, Iowa. Getty Images
He continued speaking to voters throughout Monday and into the evening, visiting caucus sites.
In the hours before Monday night’s caucus, DeSantis said he hoped he would do well and was happy that people saw him as an “underdog.”
DeSantis’ campaign argued that the media committed election interference by announcing Trump’s victory before polls closed.
Republican presidential candidate, former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, speaks at her caucus night event on January 15, 2024 in West Des Moines, Iowa. Getty Images Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, arrives to speak at a caucus night party in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 15, 2024. AP
“It is absolutely outrageous that the media engaged in election interference by calling the race before tens of thousands of Iowans even had the opportunity to vote. “The media is supporting Trump and this is the most egregious example yet,” communications director Andrew Romeo said in a statement.
DeSantis has vowed to continue campaigning in the early states and is expected to fly to Haley’s home state of South Carolina on Tuesday morning, followed by New Hampshire in the afternoon.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn