Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back on the media narrative that he is “skipping” New Hampshire as his campaign shifts resources and attention to South Carolina, where he is polling stronger and has racked up several endorsements.
“I had the morning available. And yeah, we were planning to maybe sleep in and rest. So, I’m like, ‘You know what? Let’s use that time,'” DeSantis told Fox News’s Alexis McAdams on Thursday in response to his move to campaign in South Carolina following the Iowa caucuses before then flying to New Hampshire.
“So, we went to South Carolina, knocked out a couple events and then did what we were planning to do in New Hampshire,” DeSantis continued. “That was somehow caricatured as ‘skipping’ New Hampshire when it wasn’t. It was adding South Carolina in addition to that.”
Fox News confirmed this week that the DeSantis campaign was in the process of moving the majority of its staff from Iowa to South Carolina rather than New Hampshire, where polling shows former President Trump with 50% support among those likely to vote in the primary.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks to supporters at LaBelle Winery in Derry, New Hampshire, on Jan. 17, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
McAdams asked DeSantis if he was surprised at how well Haley is doing in New Hampshire, polling at 33%, according to the RCP average, and DeSantis responded, “She’s not doing that well, trust me.”
“She got media attention, then she got scrutiny,” DeSantis said. “She cannot beat Donald Trump in New Hampshire, and she definitely can’t beat him in her home state of South Carolina.”
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a campaign event at Jethro’s BBQ in Ames, Iowa, on Jan. 11, 2024. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
DeSantis, who finished in second place in Iowa, sees the shift in resources to South Carolina as a chance to take down Haley on her home court and knock her out of the race.
“When Nikki Haley fails to win her home state, she’ll be finished and this will be a two-person race,” DeSantis campaign communications director Andrew Romeo said in a statement. “We’re wasting no time in taking the fight directly to Haley on her home turf.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a Never Back Down campaign event in Keene, New Hampshire, on Nov. 21, 2023. (Reuters/Sophie Park/File)
DeSantis is currently polling at 11% in South Carolina compared to 6% in New Hampshire, according to the RCP average. Trump is currently polling at 52%.
A source in DeSantis’ political orbit told Fox News this week that “it’s all about South Carolina.”
“They’re not completely giving up on New Hampshire. They are pursuing both states, but they’re really looking ahead to South Carolina,” the source added.
The DeSantis campaign has touted his endorsements in South Carolina, noting that he has earned more than Haley in the state.
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“Despite South Carolina being Nikki Haley’s home state, DeSantis has already built up an impressive grassroots organization,” a campaign spokesperson recently told Fox News Digital. “He has endorsements from 74 current and former elected officials, while Haley has just 14. This includes 19 state legislators for DeSantis, compared to Haley’s 11.”
DeSantis is to visit New Hampshire for at least three stops on Friday before campaigning Saturday and Sunday in South Carolina. The Florida governor told reporters it’s “most likely” he’ll return to New Hampshire late Sunday or Monday, on the eve of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary.
New Hampshire residents vote in the primary on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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