Ron DeSantis embraces ‘underdog’ status ahead of Iowa caucuses

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s embracing his “underdog” status in the Iowa caucuses.

“I’d rather have people count us out,” he told ABC News’ This Week. “I’d rather have people lower expectations for us. I tend to perform better like that.”

In an exclusive interview with the Republican presidential candidate, host Jonathan Karl played a series of clips where DeSantis repeatedly predicted an Iowa victory.

But recent polling indicates he still runs far behind former President Donald Trump in the first-in-the-nation contest for Republican delegates. A respected Iowa pollster on Saturday even showed him trailing in the state behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

DeSantis scoffed at surveys in the infamously-difficult-to-survey state. He suggested Iowans in general “roll their eyes at some of these polls.” Predictions will be harder to make, he said, in a low-turnout contest. The candidate said it’s especially hard to predict caucus results in negative-22-degree weather.

But he voiced confidence his voters will brave the cold.

“We’ve built this great organization,” DeSantis said. “We’ve got great enthusiasm on the ground.”

Still, DeSantis declined on Sunday to predict an outright caucus win, even when pressed by Karl on his prior prognostications of success.

“You know what, since then I’ve learned that it’s good to be an underdog,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis also said while many Republican voters like Trump, it would be a risky move to put trust in his fellow Floridian for a third consecutive presidential election.

“That ends up focusing the election on things that are going to be advantageous for Democrats because you’re not gonna be talking about the border. You’re not gonna be talking about the economy. You’re gonna be talking about all these things to make the election a referendum on Donald Trump.”

History shows that won’t help Republicans, either in the presidential election or down-ballot. Democrats benefited from Trump talk in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2022, DeSantis said.

“If I’m the nominee, we’ll be solely focused on the issues that matter to the American people.”

Trump’s focus on his own personal issues ultimately plays into Democrats’ hands, Ron DeSantis argued to GOP voters.

In an exclusive with, the Florida Governor argued that the former President will provide fodder to the press all year. Karl pressed DeSantis on more frequent citation of Trump’s legal issues.

“He’s focused a lot on things that concern him,” DeSantis said. “Obviously the distractions of everything that is going along with all these legal issues is a huge thing for him. You’re gonna have criminal trials. You’re gonna have a lot of focus on things like Jan. 6 by the media.”