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Ron DeSantis calls for GOP presidential debate in Iowa [1]
['Robin Opsahl', 'More From Author', '- October']
Date: 2023-10
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling for the Republican National Committee to host a presidential candidate debate in Iowa, he told reporters in the first-in-the-nation state.
In a video posted by the DeSantis campaign on X Thursday, DeSantis spoke on the upcoming debate hosted by the RNC, set to take place in Miami Nov. 8. He said Florida is “proud” to host the debate, but called for Republicans to hold a debate in Iowa or New Hampshire — the states holding the first Republican presidential caucus and primary respectively — in the lead-up to the 2024 nominating cycle.
“I don’t know why we haven’t had any of these debates in the two early states,” DeSantis said. “So, I’m a big supporter of getting either the December or early January debate in Iowa. I think that’d be very important. I think obviously, we’ll still cover the whole host of issues, but you may have some Iowa-specific things that some of the Iowans care about. And that’s really what the RNC should be doing.”
The RNC has not has not announced plans to hold any debates after Miami. While DeSantis and other candidates spoke in favor of debating, the current frontrunner has not participated in either of the previous two events. Former President Donald Trump, who holds a double-digit lead over DeSantis and other contenders like former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, did not attend the first two debates hosted in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Simi Valley, California.
Trump said he will not attend the Miami debate. Instead, he plans to hold a rally in Hialeah, Florida, roughly 15 miles away from the presidential debate in downtown Miami.
Speaking in Iowa, Trump asked “what’s the purpose” of GOP presidential debates if he’s not participating.
“They’re going to cancel all the debates after Miami, that’s what I hear,” Trump said during an October event. “Makes sense, right? You know, when you’re up 62 points, I mean — what’s the purpose of this thing?”
The former president leads the GOP primary field with an average of 57% in national polls as of Thursday, according to data from FiveThirtyEight. DeSantis holds second place with roughly 15%, followed by Haley at nearly 8%.
In a news conference with Iowa reporters Wednesday, DeSantis called for Trump to participate in the debates, saying he is “totally missing in action” in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. The debates are an opportunity to allow voters to choose who they believe be the best candidate for the 2024 presidential election, he said, and called for Trump to debate in Miami.
“He’s got to show that he can that he can do this,” DeSantis said. “I think it’s a different guy in ‘23 than he was in 2016, I think he was energetic freewheeling back then. I think it was really about ‘America First.’ Now, I think he’s on the teleprompter, most of the stuff he’s talking about is about himself and his issues. And that’s not the inspiring message that is going to be able to win the day with the American people. … But he should be on that stage in Miami.
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