DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Ron DeSantis on the Ingraham Angle

"The media was saying that I was wasting my time, they were saying that why are you going to all 99 counties? And I think this is why. We've been able to build a solid following."

DES MOINES, Iowa – Ron DeSantis tonight joined Laura Ingraham live on Fox News Channel's The Ingraham Angle. The highlights are below.

Watch the full interview HERE.

On his closing argument to Iowans ahead of the Iowa Caucuses:

Our pitch is simple. Donald Trump's running for his issues. Nikki Haley's running for her donors' issues. I'm running for your issues and your family's issues. As somebody that's delivered on 100% of my promises as governor of Florida, and as the only candidate running that has taken on the left and beaten the left on issue after issue, we beat the teacher's unions, we beat Fauci, we beat George Soros on crime, we beat the Democrats on election integrity and on illegal immigration, and we beat the left by banning China from buying land in the state of Florida. So we have the ability to produce big results. And I think, you talked about this weather, our approach to Iowa was that a caucus is different than a primary or typical election. And so you have to really build an organization that's going to be able to turn out your commitments on caucus night, which may not be the best environment. And now, we did not expect it to be negative 22 when we did it, but I do feel that we're in a situation where our folks are going to show up. We've got every precinct organized, every county organized, and that's going to pay dividends. And it was a lot of hard work. The media was saying that I was wasting my time, they were saying that why are you going to all 99 counties? And I think this is why. We've been able to build a solid following.

On his plans in New Hampshire and South Carolina next week:

Some media was saying we weren't doing New Hampshire at all. That's not true. We're going to do an event in Greenville on Tuesday morning, and then we're going to fly to New Hampshire and do a town hall on CNN later that night -- and do a lot of stuff in New Hampshire. But I think the message is simple that, you know, you look at South Carolina, Nikki Haley was governor there, and I've got like five times more endorsements from state legislators current and former than she does. And that would be unthinkable for the opposite to happen in a place like Florida. And so she's really out of step, I think, with South Carolina. We're going to show that with the support we have. And people have been focusing on Iowa, but we've been building these organizations in New Hampshire and in South Carolina as well. Didn't get as much fanfare, but that's the case. So yes, we'll start in South Carolina, do New Hampshire. We have a debate scheduled on Thursday in New Hampshire, WMUR debate. I'm the only one that's accepted that debate. I hope that debate happens. But if not, I'll be there. If they want to do a town hall, I'm game.

On how he'll combat the border crisis:

When I'm president that'll be dead on arrival. You know, some of these Republicans are just so out of touch with the voters. I've gone to all 99 counties in Iowa. It's not a border state, and yet every single town hall I do, I get multiple questions about illegal immigration and about the border. Republicans want people that are here illegally to be deported, which we need to do. They want to end these insane border policies that Biden's doing. Yes, they want a wall, they want to see that done. And they also want to see action against the drug cartels. And I think what you're likely to see out of this deal is the typical Lucy with the football: promising you're going to deal with the border, and then of course, the football gets pulled away. And it's the same old song and dance. At the end of the day, there are some Republicans -- and I would say Nikki Haley is one of them -- you know, they want the open borders because the donors want it for the cheap labor. We got to start putting the American people first and stop worrying about, you know, these guys that don't care about our sovereignty. We're gonna lose this country if you keep allowing millions and millions of people to come in at this rate.