DeSantis Campaign Press Release - Three-peat: DeSantis Wins 3rd GOP Presidential Primary Debate, Accelerating Momentum

"I'm sick of Republicans losing. In Florida, I showed how it's done."

MIAMI, FL - Ron DeSantis notched his third debate win tonight at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. After this debate performance and a historic endorsement earlier this week from Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, his momentum is accelerating as Caucus Night in Iowa approaches.

Following the debate, Ron DeSantis for President campaign manager James Uthmeier said:

"Three debates, three home runs for Ron DeSantis. The momentum in this race is clear: following a historic endorsement by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and a big debate win in front of a hometown Miami crowd, Ron DeSantis has Donald Trump on the defensive with the Iowa Caucus just 68 days away. From sending troops to combat the southern border invasion, to prohibiting China land buying, to unleashing American energy dominance and economic growth - Ron DeSantis showed he will fight and win for the American people. Ron DeSantis knows how to fight the tough fights and secure big wins, and it was clear in this debate he's the best candidate to lead our nation's great comeback as Commander-in-Chief."

The top moment of the night came when DeSantis said: "I'm sick of Republicans losing. In Florida, I showed how it's done."

"This country is in trouble, and the elites that have put us here, they don't care about you. They don't care that you're having to grapple with higher grocery prices or have higher gas prices. They don't care that your family is less secure, because of the open border that's allowed drugs and even terrorists to come into this country. Well, I care. I am not going to sit idly by and let this country continue its downward spiral. We need leadership, and we need it now. I'll take the hits. I'll take the arrows I'll take the slings. Because ultimately, it's not about me. It's about you. I will fight for you. I will make sure to lead this country's revival, and I will win for you and your family. Actions speak louder than words. We don't have time for excuses, and it's not something that we're going to be able to have all these distractions. As a veteran, I will get the job done. Now if you look where we are now, it's a lot different than we were in 2016, and Donald Trump's a lot different guy than he was in 2016. He owes it to you to be on this stage and explain why he should get another chance. He should explain why he didn't have Mexico pay for the border wall. He should explain why he racked up so much debt. He should explain why he didn't drain the swamp. And he said Republicans were going to get tired of winning. Well, we saw last night - I'm sick of Republicans losing. In Florida, I showed how it's done. One year ago here we won a historic victory, including a massive landslide right here in Miami Dade County. That's how we have to do it. So, I promise you this: as the nominee next November I'll get the job done, and as President I will deliver for you."

Watch HERE.

Another big moment came when DeSantis said: "Nikki Haley welcomed them into South Carolina, gave them land near a military base, wrote the Chinese ambassador a love letter saying what a great friend they were. In Florida, I banned China from buying land."

"We have to have the ability to back up a strategy of denial of President Xi's ambitions. And if China's able to be the world's leading superpower that will affect you and your family in ways that are going to be very bad. They will export authoritarianism all around the world as the cost of doing business. They'll impose things like social credit scores and internet monitoring. So this is to this generation, what the Soviet Union was to the post World War 2 generation. I've already released a plan. We're going to get to 355 ships at the end of the first term. 385 ships at the end of the second term, but we're going to have a path to 600 ships over the next 20 years. I think the future of freedom is going to be determined in the Indo-Pacific. We have a strategy - not just military, but decoupling from the economy and fighting them here at home with their cultural - Ambassador Haley said somehow I wasn't doing- She welcomed them into South Carolina. Gave them land near a military base. Wrote the Chinese ambassador a love letter saying what a great friend they were. That was like their number one way to do economic development. In Florida, I banned China from buying land in this state. and we kicked out - their universities - And we kicked the Confucius Institutes out of our universities. We've recognized the threat, and we've acted swiftly and decisively."

Watch HERE.