DeSantis Campaign Press Release - WTAS: DeSantis Declared "WINNER" of "Most Crucial Debate Yet"

DES MOINES, Iowa — Ron DeSantis dominated Nikki Haley in last night's debate in Des Moines. Here's what they are saying about DeSantis' "best performance yet":

Campaign Manager James Uthmeier on CNN : Listen, ultimately, people know Nikki Haley is not a conservative, and the Republican Party right now is not going to nominate somebody who is not a conservative when it comes to conservative bona fides. Ron DeSantis has those. He's the only candidate that can unite both the people that want to move on from Trump that want to see a better tomorrow that don't want to be looking at the past, as well as many people that are still open to Trump that are frustrated by the weaponized government, and that like things better the way they were before Ron DeSantis can do both. He's got a record of conservative achievements. The people have, I would know that they will go out they will vote to support that and then we'll move on to the subsequent states. And listen, it's a long journey. It's not just one or even two states that decide this outcome. We have a long ways to go.

Deputy Campaign Manager David Polyansky on ABC: First, thank you for having me. And yes, it was a dominating performance by Governor DeSantis. And really a very tough night for Nikki Haley, in terms of painting a very sharp contrast between their records. It was a no - it was they needed to stop the fight early. When you talk about the governor's Governor DeSantis' record in Florida, for instance, where he's got the number one economy in the country. He has the number one school system in the country, number one in education, where he has kept China out of the state in terms of both land sales, and even institutes and universities. All of that paints a record of a very clear accomplishments that the party is looking for in its next nominee and somebody that can take on Joe Biden. And that's in sharp contrast to Nikki Haley, who stood up there tonight, and struggled to defend a record with - where South Carolina during her tenure had the worst state education system in the country or her economy was not nearly meeting expectations, and where she handed out China land sales not just near military bases, but by putting them in their college institutions. It was a very sharp contrast. But what really was exciting was the sharp contrast painted between their visions for the future. And right now Governor DeSantis painted his vision, and Nikki Haley struggled to define what hers was.

Senator Amy Sinclair on WHO13 News: Yeah, so I have supported Governor DeSantis. The entire time I've I I'm not shy about that. I supported the governor because he has accomplished all of the things he promised to do. And he followed through with him, he turned to purple state deep red. And I think he can do those things for the nation. I agree with him philosophically. And I back him on all of those things. What I watched was a very, very confident Governor DeSantis get up there and tout what he's done and why he's done it and how he'll do it for that poor nation. And I saw very, very agitated Nikki Haley, get upset, every time record was called into question.

Bob Vander Plaats on KCCI: I think one is you see a guy that can win. Governor DeSantis has a great record in the state of Florida. And a lot of ways it mirrors what Governor Reynolds has done here in the state of Iowa. They resonate with it so much. But not only that, he took a toss up state like Florida, and he won a landslide in the midterm election in 2022. I think what you saw tonight as you saw tonight is a leader who's very comfortable in his own skin and who has delivered on a lot of conservative policies, whether it be parental rights, school choice, taking on Fauci and COVID or taking on the woke agenda in the schools or in corporate America. I think a lot of the people tonight are saying there's a clear difference here.

Bob Vander Plaats on CNN: Iowa will do a job well, Dana, if we present an alternative to the former president, and then what you do is you give America a choice, either the former president in Donald Trump, or a clear alternative, which I believe is going to be Ron DeSantis. So they first need to make the case about who can be that alternative. I do think Governor DeSantis did do a good job of where he does have differences with the former president, and why he believes he's best positioned to win not only the primary, but to win the general election as well.

Daily Mail: Ron DeSantis declared the WINNER over Nikki Haley in Daily Mail's snap poll of the most crucial debate yet: Iowa voters say Florida governor dominated his rival with four days until the caucuses

Iowa Voter: DeSantis is my number one.

Dana Loesch: Not even a question: DeSantis won this debate. Solid, unfazed performance full of receipts and he never let Haley off the hook. Haley gets rattled easy, struggles to defend her record, and has major Hillary energy.

Ainsley Earhardt: I love that [DeSantis] said that. He said, 'I'm moving forward. I'm not focusing on all the hoaxes from the past. No retribution, I will move forward.'

Iowa Voter : I want to see a DeSantis-style candidate. I have supported DeSantis pretty much from the beginning after seeing how great he was at parent engagement in Florida. Parents were at the table right at the beginning. He followed the science. He engaged the scientists. He didn't just follow the political scientists kind of like what Biden has done he has actually followed evidence and we have seen the fruits of his neighbor. Parents here in New York have felt really excluded from the process. Astroturf groups that claim to speak for us but actually there is no one truly advocating for the children. I would like to see whoever ends up being the candidate do that. I think Trump is probably a better candidate than Biden but, I really wish he would get out of the way so that DeSantis.

Doug Stafford: I'm not sure I have seen a candidate lie as easily as Haley does live on stage/camera about her own and others positions. Combine that with her neocon foreign policy and she's a non starter for anyone who ever voted for a liberty or America first candidate.

Daily Mail: Republican debate viewers say DeSantis was STRONG while Haley was SMART but WEAK

Jerusalem Post: Ron DeSantis slams Nikki Haley's past support of two state solution at Republican debate

Hill: DeSantis has one of his strongest showings

New York Times: Who Won the Debate? Haley Struggled to Outshine DeSantis, Analysts Say