Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said Thursday he was “running to win in January and February” when asked about former President Donald Trump’s lead in the polls.
DeSantis currently trails Trump, 53% to 20.9% in the RealClearPolitics average. The Florida governor gained national prominence with several culture war battles in 2022 and his landslide defeat of former Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist by 17% on Nov. 8, part of a Republican landslide in the state that was a bright spot on a night where the party underperformed expectations nationwide. (RELATED: ‘Everybody Pays More’: Ron DeSantis Reveals His Definition For ‘Bidenomics’)
“I think if you look at the people like the corporate media, who are they going after? Who do they not want to be the nominee? They are going after me,” DeSantis told “Fox News Tonight” host Will Cain. “Who’s the president of Mexico attacking because he knows we’ll be strong on the border … and the cartels? He’s going after me. So, I think if you look at all these people that are responsible for a lot of the ills in our society, they’re targeting me as the person they do not want to see as the candidate.”
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“This campaign just started, but I think it’s pretty clear that I am the guy that not only can beat Biden, but I am the guy that can beat the left on all these different issues because people’s freedoms are under assault,” DeSantis continued. “We had to fight all these people in Florida, and I think of any Republican in the country, I have the best record of defeating the left on issue after issue and we’ll be making the case over the next six or seven months. I’m running to win in January and February. I’m not running to juice polling now.”
The Florida governor and Disney have clashed since he signed parental rights legislation in March 2022 over the company’s opposition. DeSantis also approved legislation that ended Disney’s control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which Disney reportedly attempted to undermine with last-second agreements, leading to the company suing DeSantis in April.
DeSantis also signed legislation May 2 that prohibited state agencies and local governments from considering environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors when issuing bonds, barred banks from considering “social credit” when making loan decisions and prohibited discrimination on the basis of political, social or religious ideology.
“I’ve been attacked more than anybody, as you know, Will. Donald Trump spent over $20 million attacking me,” DeSantis said, adding that it was more than the former president spent backing Republicans in the midterm elections.
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