Fox News host Neil Cavuto pressed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida about his inability to rise in the polls while former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s appears to be gaining traction among voters.

DeSantis trails former President Donald Trump in the RealClearPolitics.com average of polls taken from Oct. 4 to Oct. 29 by 46.4%, with Haley in third place with 8.3%. On Feb. 27, DeSantis trailed Trump, 43.2% to 30% in that average. (RELATED: ‘Plagiarize Ronald Reagan’: Former Trump Official Offers Debate Advice For GOP Candidates)

WATCH:

“Nikki Haley has emerged as a strong polling favorite, she’s tied with you in Iowa, and that has come really following her very tough talk of not only supporting Israel and Ukraine, but backing them both up with the money they need and not debating the issue,” Cavuto told DeSantis. “Now, do you fear your kind of threading the needle on this is hurting you, that she’s clear, you’re not, she’s gaining, you’re not? She’s seen as an acceptable number two to Donald Trump, you’re not.”

Trump led with 43% of the vote for the Iowa caucus according to a Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom poll released Monday, with Haley and DeSantis each getting 16% support.

“Actually, I’ve been much clearer on Israel. I mean, I said from the beginning, no Gaza refugees,” DeSantis responded. “You know, she said that America has been able to separate terrorists from freedom fighters. And that’s what we have to do now. She backtracked on that. But I’ve been very clear, no refugees.”

“We’ve also been very clear, canceling student visas for pro-Hamas demonstrators. I’ve also been very clear, no taxpayer money to Hamas,” DeSantis continued. “They say it’s humanitarian assistance, but the reality is Hamas will commandeer that and they will use that to advance terrorism.”

CheckYourFact.com noted that Haley did not call for the admission of refugees from Gaza.

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