Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has warned that former President Donald Trump will likely try to delegitimize the results if he loses in either the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary. Speaking at a town hall event in New Hampshire’s capital city, DeSantis stated, “If Trump loses, he will say it’s stolen no matter what. Absolutely. He will try to delegitimize the results.” DeSantis cited Trump’s previous claims that Ted Cruz “stole” the Iowa caucuses in 2016 as evidence of his potential behavior.
Trump has consistently made unproven claims of a “rigged” election and “massive voter fraud” as the reasons for his 2020 election loss to President Biden. Earlier this year, Trump became the first former or current president to be indicted on charges related to his attempt to overturn the election results. Despite these controversies, Trump remains the front-runner in the 2024 GOP presidential nomination race.
DeSantis, who is currently trailing far behind Trump in the polls, has recently intensified his criticism of the former president. He has accused Trump of failing to fulfill campaign promises, being too old to serve as president again, and avoiding debates with his rivals for the Republican nomination. DeSantis argued that Trump is “a different guy now” and should answer tough questions from voters.
In response to DeSantis’ criticism, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed his comments as “Lincoln Project fantasies” and accused him of adopting Democrat talking points. The Lincoln Project is a political action committee formed by Republicans and former GOP members who oppose Trump. Cheung also suggested that DeSantis would eventually align with the Democrats after his political career ends.
DeSantis returned to New Hampshire after Republican Governor Chris Sununu endorsed former ambassador Nikki Haley in the state’s presidential primary. Sununu, who has been critical of Trump, had considered endorsing Haley, Chris Christie, or DeSantis. Despite Sununu’s endorsement, DeSantis stated that it would not change his campaign strategy and emphasized that Haley is an establishment candidate who may not perform well in the Republican primaries.
As the 2024 campaign progresses, DeSantis will continue to face challenges in his bid for the Republican nomination, with Trump maintaining a significant lead in the polls.
