(CBrief) – Outkick podcast host Tomi Lahren held Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ feet to the fire in an interview posted on Friday, during which she pressed him about why he decided to run for president during this cycle instead of waiting until 2028 after former President Donald Trump announced his third bid.
Trump has been leading the ever-widening field of GOP hopefuls, but the popular Florida governor has maintained a solid hold on second place, albeit far behind the 45th president.
But DeSantis, who won his 2022 election by a whopping 20 points, explained that he believes he has what it takes to lead the country and wants the opportunity to do so.
In the interview, Lahren asked the GOP governor to respond to supporters of Trump who also like him but believe he should wait his “turn” in 2028.
“First of all, in America, we don’t have ‘turns,’” DeSantis responded. “People can run if they believe they have something to offer the country. I can tell you as somebody that’s worn the country’s uniform, who served in Iraq, who believes in a cause greater than myself, I believe 2024 is make or break.”
“I don’t think we have time for excuses. We’re not going to get a mulligan on this one,” he said, using a golf term that allows players a do-over shot without taking a penalty.
“I think I’ve shown the ability to defeat the Democrats – yes, at the ballot box by winning Florida by a historic margin, but also on issue after issue,” he said, going on to list those victories.
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“We beat ’em on lockdowns. We beat ’em on education. We beat ’em on ESG. We beat ’em on illegal immigrants. We beat ’em on transgender athletes competing with women,” said the governor.
“On issue after issue, we didn’t just talk the talk, we walked the walk, and so I’ll run. I’ll beat Biden, but even more importantly than that, I will deliver on all these things because if we don’t actually deliver, then I think we’re going to be in a hole that’s going to be very difficult to dig out from,” he continued.
“So, I think I’m the guy that can get all of that done, and I think I have a responsibility to offer myself, and that’s where I’m coming from,” he said.
According to the RealClearPolitics average of polls, Trump is leading DeSantis by about 47 percent to 24 percent. No other GOP candidate polls in double digits, The Western Journal reports.
Meanwhile, Trump received a heartfelt welcome during a campaign stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Friday, where he also extended some of his characteristic generosity.
During his speech, Trump mentioned his legal problems. “Every time I get a subpoena, you know, my polls go up, I get more and more subpoenas,” he said, according to The Western Journal.
He was well received after the speech in the city as well, where he went to a local Dairy Queen and treated all the patrons. Chants of “We love Trump!” and “USA!” were heard as he entered the establishment.
When he got to the counter, Trump began chatting with the workers there, saying at one point, “Everybody wants a Blizzard. What the hell is a Blizzard?”
After asking the counter workers to “take care of” the people in the restaurant, Trump then began handing out ice cream to patrons.
One woman was heard saying, “We want you back, Trump.”
The former president also commented on a shirt a man was wearing. “Look at that — 45, 47,” he said of the shirt, which obviously referenced him as being the 45th president and possibly the 47th.
Trump also made a surprise stop at a pizzeria in Fort Myers, Fla., in April and bought a round of food for the patrons there.
conservativebrief.com/lahren-puts-74815/
