Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis clarified that he will not drop out of the presidential primary contest, even if he finishes third in the Iowa caucus, declaring that his campaign has been built for the “long haul.”
“You are not dropping out of this race tonight or tomorrow, no matter what?” a reporter asked DeSantis at an earlier event in Urbandale, Iowa.
“We’re going on with this,” DeSantis said, making it clear that he does not plan to drop out of the presidential primary race, regardless of the highly anticipated results.
“We’ve been built for the long haul. It’s all about the accumulation of delegates,” he said.
“Even if you come in third place tonight, there’s no chance your campaign is dropping out, is that what you’re saying?” the reporter pressed.
“We’re in it for the long haul,” DeSantis reiterated, predicting a strong showing in Iowa.
“We’re going to do well. I know the media likes to do the speculation…I’m excited for the votes to come in because that’ll be the first real data point,” DeSantis added.
WATCH:
DeSantis’s remark comes mere hours ahead of the Iowa caucus, which begins around 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on Monday. Former President Donald Trump continues to lead in poll after poll by double digits in the Hawkeye State. The latest RealClearPolling data shows Trump leading by an average of 33.7 points. That margin, if it becomes official, would be absolutely historic.
Regardless, DeSantis’s tone, while confident, is still less positive than it was in the past, as he predicted outright victory several times on the campaign trail.
“Well, we’re going to win the caucus,” DeSantis told NBC’s Kristen Welker during an appearance on Meet the Press in early December. “We’re doing everything that we need to do it. We’ll continue to build support.”
At the time, DeSantis pressed that he would “win” Iowa and predicted that the victory would “help propel us to the nomination.”
The governor’s remarks follow an awkward encounter after a man offered DeSantis a participation trophy at one of the presidential hopeful’s Iowa events on Saturday.
“He’s special. He’s unique, and he’s our little snowflake,” the man calmly stated before two men escorted him out of the room.
WATCH: Heckler Trolls DeSantis with Participation Trophy in Iowa
C-SPAN / Samantha-Jo Roth
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