(NewsNation) — Although Ron DeSantis‘ fellow Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is still leading in the polls, the Florida governor is confident about his chances going into the Republican primaries.
“Donald Trump is running focused mostly on his issues. I’m running focused on your issues and your family’s issues and this country’s future,” presidential candidate Ron DeSantis told NewsNation’s Marni Hughes Tuesday ahead of the Iowa caucuses. “We need a president that can go in, serve two terms and deliver the type of change that I delivered in Florida.”
DeSantis pointed out that Trump has declined to participate in events such as the GOP debates.
“Looking forward, there’s a lot of fluidity here, and I think we’ve put ourselves in a good position to capture that,” DeSantis said on “NewsNation Live.”
Trump has maintained the frontrunner position since the start of the race. Latest poll numbers from FiveThirtyEight.com have Trump at a staggering 62.8%, while DeSantis and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are neck and neck at 11.9 and 11.8%, respectively.
The former president has also gotten some key endorsements.
In a post on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio threw his support behind Trump, saying his “kind of leadership is the ONLY way we will get the extraordinary actions needed to fix the disaster (current President Joe) Biden has created.”
NewsNation partner The Hill writes this means that both Florida senators are now choosing Trump for president over their own governor.
DeSantis dismissed these endorsements Tuesday.
“I have like 90 members of our state legislature, between House and Senate that have endorsed me, because they’ve worked with me, and they’ve seen the great results. Many of them have paid on their own dime, to come to Iowa in the middle of January from Florida, to go knock on doors, in three feet of snow and ice,” DeSantis said. “I think that shows you the commitment.”
While he is not the candidate preferred by politicians in Washington, DeSantis said, he doesn’t think voters want to see someone who is.
“I think they look at Washington, D.C. and they say, ‘These Republicans talk a big game, but they don’t ever deliver,’” DeSantis said. “They always promise they’re going to do the border, they always promise they’re going to cut spending, they always promised they’re going to do this stuff. And then nothing really seems to change.”
In contrast, DeSantis said he’s a “change agent.”
“We’re going to upset the applecart in DC,” DeSantis said.