Ron DeSantis looking to Iowa debates, televised town halls to win caucus support

DES MOINES — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pursuing high-profile media appearances in Iowa in the weeks ahead of the Republican first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, hoping televised town halls, debates and on-the-ground organizing can win him support from the state's Republican voters.

In a call with reporters on Wednesday, DeSantis said he wants to participate in as many Iowa town halls and debates as possible to win over undecided voters and persuadable Trump supporters.

“We’re going to be doing all available options that we can do to be able to press the case,” DeSantis said.

Iowa's Republican caucuses will take place on Jan. 15, kicking off the party's national presidential primary.

Jake Tapper moderated a CNN-hosted town hall with DeSantis in Des Moines on Tuesday, and DeSantis said the campaign is working with other networks to host similar events. He also said he's pushing for multiple debates in Iowa before the caucuses.

The Republican National Committee has paused hosting debates and will allow candidates to participate in non-sanctioned debates before the first nominating contests.

DeSantis called on both former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump to participate in a Jan. 10 debate CNN plans to host at Drake University in Des Moines.

"The notion that you just don't show up, you don't answer questions, you're not willing to debate, that's going to be meaningful to a lot of voters," DeSantis said.

Trump has not participated in previous debates and he is not expected to attend the Iowa debate. Haley has not committed to attending the CNN debate, but her campaign said she is planning to debate in Iowa and is considering multiple offers.

“Since the RNC pulled out of the debates, many new offers have come in,” said Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas. “We look forward to debating in Iowa and continuing to show voters why Nikki is the best candidate to retire Joe Biden and save our country. That debate should include Donald Trump.”

When asked if Trump would attend the Iowa debate, his campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung pointed to polling that shows him far ahead of his primary opponents.

"President Trump is dominating every single poll by historic margins," Cheung said in an email. "These other candidates are currently sitting at the kid's table, wishing they could graduate to the adult table."

Polling suggests Trump is the clear favorite of Iowa Republican caucusgoers, with candidates like DeSantis and Haley lagging behind in their support levels. A Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll released Monday showed Trump was supported by 51 percent of likely caucusgoers. DeSantis took 19 percent of support in that poll, while Haley had support from 16 percent.

Despite the major gap in polling, DeSantis said Wednesday that he thinks he has the ability to convince Iowa voters who see him on the ground or in events like debates and town halls. He said high-profile endorsements from Gov. Kim Reynolds and Family Leader CEO and President Bob Vander Plaats will help drive up his support levels.

“What we find when we’re out on the ground, when people who are nominal Trump supporters come, we convert them. We flip them,” DeSantis said. “...He’s the one they know, he’s got the name ID. But if they see that there’s a conservative alternative that they can have confidence in, they’re absolutely willing to go there.”

DeSantis also boasted an on-the-ground operation he said outperformed that of any other candidates. He said his campaign has solicited a “massive number of caucus commitments” from voters that come to his events.

Contrast with Trump, Haley

DeSantis has become more critical of Trump in recent weeks, attacking him for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and saying he did not follow through on his promises when he was elected in 2016.

The Florida governor said Wednesday he is the only candidate that can consolidate the support to beat Trump in the primary, arguing Haley’s positions are too moderate to win over conservative voters.

DeSantis accused Haley of being too liberal for the Republican electorate, saying she represents “the failed political establishment of yesteryear.” He pointed to support Haley has received from high-dollar donors like LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who last week donated $250,000 to the super PAC backing Haley.

“The reality is, I’m the only one that could possibly defeat Donald Trump in a primary, in a one-on-one, because I have the ability to win voters who are very conservative, conservative, somewhat conservative in a way that the other candidates just simply cannot,” DeSantis said.

Haley has deflected attacks about her record and supporters, arguing she is a thoroughly conservative Republican. During a debate last week, Haley pointed to issues she supported as governor like tort reform and immigration restrictions.

“Look, we will take support from anybody we can take support from, but I have been a conservative fighter all my life,” she said. “I was a Tea Party candidate when I became governor.”