Ron DeSantis Downplays Early Hurdles In Presidential Campaign: 'These Are Narratives'

Despite a strong start to his campaign, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is now polling in the 20% range, down from his January peak of 40.5%, according to a report from Politico on Sunday.

What Happened: DeSantis, who raised $20 million in the first six weeks of his campaign, is now considered a “clear underdog” by Steve Cortes, a top spokesperson for DeSantis' super PAC.

In an interview on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," DeSantis pushed back against the media’s portrayal of his campaign as stalling. "Maria, these are narratives."

"The media does not want me to be the nominee. I think that's very, very clear."

He also made an effort to draw distinctions between himself and former President Donald Trump, promising to fire FBI Director Chris Wray and "clean house" at the Department of Justice.

DeSantis criticized the former president for social media companies' handling of Hunter Biden's leaked computer files. "I would never allow that to happen. I would fire those people immediately," he said.

See Also: Former Senator McCaskill Says ‘Dead Frog’ DeSantis’ Attempt To Out-Trump Trump Will End In Failure

Why It Matters: DeSantis’ campaign has been marked by a series of challenges, including criticism from Trump, who has called his campaign "dead" and "heading to hell." Despite this, DeSantis's fundraising efforts have been strong. His campaign has faced criticism for its approach, with former Senator Claire McCaskill describing the Governor as having the "personality of a dead frog" and predicting his attempts to "out-Trump Trump" will fail.

DeSantis’ campaign has also been criticized for its hard-right stance and controversial videos. His wife, Casey DeSantis, recently released a video for the group Mamas for DeSantis, outlining the right-wing agenda her husband has implemented in Florida and plans to bring to the national stage. The video was met with derision from the left.

Read Next: DeSantis’ Strategy To Out-Trump Trump Not Working, Chris Hayes Dubs Latest Campaign Video ‘Desperate And Thirsty’

Photo by Leonard Zhukovsky on Shutterstock

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