CNN Iowa town hall: DeSantis delivers strong showing 11 days away from caucuses

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) displayed sharp answers and deftly maneuvered around audience questions during a CNN town hall in Iowa on Thursday as he seeks to defeat former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump in the first GOP nominating race of the 2024 primary season.

“I actually believe in the process. I’ve gone to all 99 counties. I’ve shown up. I’ve answered questions. You’ll see me on the debate stage next week here in Iowa on Jan.10,” DeSantis said during the event moderated by CNN host Kaitlan Collins. “Donald Trump’s not willing to show up on the debate stage. Has he come to communities and answered questions? Has he gone to all 99 counties? Heck, has he even gone to nine counties? That’s not the way to do it.”

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Trump has made fewer campaign stops in Iowa compared to most of his GOP primary rivals, especially DeSantis, who has traveled to all of the Hawkeye State’s 99 counties. The former president has cited his polling advantage to skirt around normal political campaigning this election cycle.

DeSantis also sought to cast Trump as a leader who refused to fulfill previous campaign promises, such as ending birthright citizenship or supporting abortion restriction laws at the federal level.

“Donald Trump has said that pro-life protections, even at the state level, are a quote, terrible thing. And he said that in relation to bills like Iowa did the heartbeat bill,” DeSantis said, referencing bills he and Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) signed last year restricting abortions after six weeks.

“Now, this is a guy that was at the March for Life in January of 2020. And he said that all life was a gift from God. He said the unborn was made in the image of God. He said that there should be protections,” DeSantis continued. “That’s what he was saying when he was president at the March for Life. Now, he’s saying it’s a terrible, terrible thing. So, how do you reconcile those two views? Did he flip-flop?”

When asked if he thought Trump was not pro-life, DeSantis claimed, “Of course not.” Evangelical voters make up a sizable portion of Iowa, where the governor’s anti-abortion bona fides could boost him in the caucuses.

CNN is hosting back-to-back town halls featuring DeSantis and Haley on Thursday night 11 days out from the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses. DeSantis’s town hall was held first at 9 p.m. EST, followed by Haley’s 10 p.m. event.

The Florida governor didn’t hesitate to contrast his campaign against Haley. “Donald Trump is running for his issues. Nikki Haley’s running for her donor’s issues. I’m running for your issues,” he said. “I’m running for your family’s issues, and I’m running to turn this country around.”

The audience of Iowan caucusgoers clapped in approval.

The two candidates have fiercely battled for second place as Trump continues to dominate the primary field. DeSantis has repeatedly attacked Haley on the campaign trail as he vies for a second-place finish behind Trump or even an upset first-place result in Iowa. Recently, he has slammed Haley for claiming that New Hampshire voters will “correct” the results from the Iowa caucuses.

“It’s a slap in the face to Iowans,” DeSantis chastised Haley. The Florida governor’s campaign viability will center on whether he can defeat Trump on Jan. 15 or finish in a close second place.

But a rising Haley campaign has somewhat stymied his efforts to remain the sole viable Trump challenger in the GOP primary. The two candidates are polling within 1% of each other, with Haley at 11% and DeSantis at 10.9%, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average. Trump leads the pack at 62.7%.

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He previously slammed Haley as a “phony” during a joint interview with NBC News’s Dasha Burns and the Des Moines Register‘s Brianne Pfannenstiel on Thursday.

DeSantis and Haley are set to face off on the debate stage on Jan. 10 just five days before the Iowa caucuses.