'DeSantis is dead after tonight': campaign expert predicts post-Iowa Caucus withdrawal
January 15, 2024
Campaign experts are predicting that Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign won't survive the Iowa Caucus Monday night.
David Plouffe, campaign manager for former President Barack Obama, and Michael Steele, a former Republican Party chair, both appeared on MSNBC to foretell the end of the Florida Republican's race.
"DeSantis is dead after tonight," Plouffe said. "No matter what."
Plouffe believes the Republicans will leave Monday's caucus with two frontrunner candidates — former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
"This is a two-person race after tonight," said Plouffe. "If Haley comes in second, that is a nice talking point."
Even if DeSantis manages to eke out a second-place win, Plouffe believes he'll flat in New Hampshire. But Steele argued DeSantis might stay in the race even if he knows ultimate victory isn't an option.
"If he still thinks he has the juice to go to New Hampshire or South Carolina, that he can make up some back-end piece after having spent no time in either of those locations, guess what he will do?" Said Steele, "He will stay in the race."
But when Steele took the hypothetical one step further, he had to argue it didn't matter when DeSantis admitted defeat.
"Donald Trump is still the man," Steele said. "At some point, if Nikki does catch fire, in what universe does Donald Trump play ball with Nikki Haley and say, 'You know you're beating me, I'm gonna let you beat me?'"
See the discussion in the video below or at the link here.
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