DeSantis says he avoided ‘scrum’ at debate because ‘nobody hit me’
DYERSVILLE, Iowa (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis reacted to his debate performance while at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa, saying “nobody hit” him, allowing him to stay on message.
“Thing about the debate is, you know, nobody hit me,” he said.
“So, I wasn’t going to get involved in that scrum,” he said, referring to some of the contentious moments and shouting matches among other candidates.
One notable moment was when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie compared businessman Vivek Ramaswamy to “ChatGPT” and former President Barack Obama.
“I know those guys were going back and forth,” DeSantis continued. “And what I did with 100% of my time was to speak directly to the American people about our vision to reverse the country’s decline.”
“What specifically we need to do, and most importantly, what I’ve already done, to show that I could do this nationally,” he said. “And of anyone on the stage, I’m the only guy that’s actually delivered on all the things that our voters care about. And I think that contrast came through very strongly.”
At the debate, DeSantis touched on a plethora of policy issue and touted accomplishments in Florida that he hopes to bring to a national stage.
“In Florida, we led the country out of lockdown, we kept our state free, and free and open, and I can tell you this, as your president, I will never let the deep state bureaucrats lock you down,” he said.
DeSantis reiterated his message of the U.S. being in “decline.”
The governor sounded off on federal COVID-19 policies and slammed the notion of “coddl[ing]” Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“You don’t take somebody like Fauci and coddle him!” he said. “You bring Fauci in, you sit him down, and you say ‘Anthony, you are fired!’”
While in Iowa Thursday night, DeSantis responded to a question surrounding former President Donald Trump’s Thursday booking into Fulton County jail on 2020 election-related charges.
“What do you think about this split screen of you here in the Field of Dreams and former President Trump being arrested?” a reporter asked DeSantis.
“Well, I’m glad I’m at the Field of Dreams. I’m happy to be here,” DeSantis said.
