Key Highlights from CNN's Iowa Town Hall Featuring Ron DeSantis
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis takes a strong stance against Donald Trump during a CNN town hall in Iowa ahead of the state's caucuses, emphasizing his disagreement on key issues such as abortion, Israel's security, and healthcare policies
During a CNN town hall in Iowa, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displayed a newfound fervor in challenging Donald Trump, consistently criticizing the former president as the state's caucuses loom less than five weeks away. DeSantis wasted no time in seizing opportunities to highlight the differences between his governorship and Trump's policies.
Trump's policies have been blamed for various issues, including the rise in inflation and the incomplete border wall. Additionally, Florida governor DeSantis accused Trump of inconsistency in his stance on abortion and even attributed the approval of the Satanic Temple in Iowa to the Trump administration.
DeSantis' speech at Tuesday's event was notably absent of the usual conservative culture war buzzwords. Instead, he chose to focus on issues that are top of mind for the broader electorate, and even took the opportunity to attack Trump when discussing a recent endorsement given to rival Nikki Haley by New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. Here are the key points from DeSantis' CNN town hall, moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper at Grand View University in Des Moines:
Focusing on the front-runner
DeSantis came out of the gate with a clear focus on closing his polling gap in the Hawkeye State with Trump.
He made an early criticism of Trump, attributing the country's inflation problems during President Joe Biden's administration to the former president. He also blamed his Republican opponents for their actions at the beginning of the Covid pandemic.
"He stated that shutting down the country and printing trillions of dollars were both huge mistakes."
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT TOWN HALLS
In the preceding year, CNN conducted town halls featuring various GOP presidential candidates, such as former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and former Vice President Mike Pence, who has since withdrawn from the race.
DeSantis launched a total of eight attacks on the former president over the course of an hour. He criticized Trump for not completing the US-Mexico border wall as promised, for refusing to debate him, for condemning Florida's new six-week abortion ban, and for failing to replace Obamacare with a Republican alternative. DeSantis remarked, "You never know what he's going to say when he gets off the teleprompter. It's a different Donald Trump than in 2015 and 2016. Back then, he focused on America First policies, but now it's more about him."
The series of attacks was notable, not due to their originality. DeSantis has been making similar criticisms of Trump during his campaign in recent weeks. However, he seldom direct his critiques this blatantly toward the former president in a prime-time appearance. At the fourth GOP presidential debate, DeSantis focused his criticisms on Haley, mentioning Trump only when prompted. On Tuesday, there was little mention of Haley, and even expressed positive thoughts about Sununu, who had previously endorsed his opponent earlier that evening.
The shift in strategy on Tuesday may indicate the increasing need for his campaign to gain ground in the state. DeSantis has previously shown a willingness to challenge Trump, only to back down. It is unclear if this time will bring any change.
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DeSantis says Trump is flip-flopping on abortion
DeSantis has received backlash, even from within the GOP, for enacting a law that prohibits most abortions after approximately six weeks. This move was criticized by Trump as being "too harsh."
In defense of the law, DeSantis mentioned that it includes provisions for circumstances similar to those of Kate Cox, a Texas woman who sought legal approval for an abortion upon learning that her fetus had a fatal condition. Doctors also warned her that forgoing the procedure could jeopardize her future fertility. Despite having left the state to seek an abortion elsewhere, the Texas Supreme Court ruled against her on Monday.
Cox's legal case is considered to be among the initial efforts in the nation by an individual pursuing a court-mandated abortion following the US Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade last year.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, took part in a CNN Republican Town Hall led by CNN's Jake Tapper at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, on December 12, 2023.
Rewriting:
Verifying the facts from Ron DeSantis' CNN town hall in Iowa, it was confirmed that the six-week abortion ban he signed in Florida includes restricted exceptions for instances of rape, incest, pregnancies that pose a risk to the mother's life, and fatal fetal defects.
"It's an incredibly difficult thing for a mother to deal with in that situation," he expressed. "We need to address these issues with compassion because they are very complex." Not mentioned by DeSantis: Last year, he approved a 15-week abortion ban without exceptions for rape and incest. This law, currently awaiting a ruling from the Florida Supreme Court, permits women to terminate pregnancies only if their health is at serious risk, or if there is a fatal fetal abnormality, and requires two doctors to certify in writing that it is medically necessary.
The proposed six-week ban in Florida would only come into effect after the high court rules on the legal challenge to the existing 15-week ban. It includes limited exceptions for rape and incest, but only up to 15 weeks of pregnancy and requires women seeking abortions under those exceptions to provide a police report or other evidence of their assault.
Following praise for the Florida law, DeSantis shifted to criticizing Trump, pointing out that the former president had strongly opposed abortion rights while in office.
He expressed his concern that Trump was contradicting himself on the issue of the right to life.
"I believe this inconsistency is a major issue because we understand that people approach this topic from various perspectives. This is a diverse and divided country, and there are differing opinions on this issue. However, it is important to maintain consistency in your beliefs," DeSantis remarked.
The governor tones it down
Attending a DeSantis stump speech often demands a guide to the terminology favored by his staunchest conservative followers, particularly those active online. Woke, ESG, DEI, CRT, Central Bank Digital Currency, social credit scores, Zuckerbucks - these terms, expressions, and acronyms feature prominently in the governor's campaign events, media discussions, and debate answers.
DeSantis noticeably avoided using those terms during the hour-long town hall, which is a departure from his usual confrontational style with journalists and political opponents. Some advisors have been trying to get DeSantis to focus on issues that are easier for most Republican voters to understand, but so far, those efforts have not been successful. He recently mentioned "Central Bank Digital Currency" and "Zuckerbucks" at a debate, and brought up "ESG" and "DEI" in other recent appearances.
But for at least one hour Tuesday, in front of the kind of general audience DeSantis has struggled to reach and connect with, those advisers won out.
DeSantis says two-state solution would just weaken Israel
DeSantis strongly opposed Biden's views, countering his warning that Israel was losing international support for its actions against Hamas. Biden also stated that the Israeli government does not support the idea of a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.
DeSantis argued on Tuesday evening that achieving a two-state solution would be unattainable due to certain groups prioritizing the destruction of Israel over establishing their own state. He expressed doubt that a two-state solution could happen when Palestinian Arabs view it as a means to annihilate Israel. He attributed the lack of a resolution to the Palestinian Arabs' refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and emphasized that any action taken in the absence of such recognition would only serve to undermine Israel.
DeSantis defended Israel's tactics and Netanyahus government in his response to Biden, leaving their differences implicit. When asked to prioritize support for Israel in its war in Gaza or for Ukraine in its war against Russia, the governor's comments followed.
DeSantis selected Israel, referring to it as "a country with a unique relationship with us," and emphasized the need for increased support from Europe for Ukraine. Additionally, he supported Israel's actions in Gaza, attributing global criticism to antisemitism and placing all responsibility for the conflict on Hamas.
"Hamas needs to surrender unconditionally. Israel cannot coexist with a terrorist group that seeks to destroy their entire country, kill every Jew, and bring about a second Holocaust," he said. "So they have every right to defend themselves."
DeSantis dodges on Obamacare and Social Security
DeSantis has criticized Trump for not replacing the Affordable Care Act, but has yet to unveil his own plan. He mentioned that he would reveal his health care plan later in the election season, potentially after the early-nominating states have chosen their nominee. While he vaguely promised to address pharmaceutical companies and rising health care costs, he did not provide specifics.
He suggested that his proposal would make health insurance "portable," a concept previously advocated by Sen. John McCain during his 2008 presidential campaign.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley addresses a gathering during a campaign stop at a brewery on November 29, 2023, in Meredith, New Hampshire.
Charles Krupa/AP
Nikki Haley is advocating for changes to Social Security and Medicare, which has caught the attention of donors. DeSantis, on the other hand, has criticized Haley's stance on Social Security reform but has not delved into specifics on how he plans to ensure its long-term stability, a subject that posed challenges for him during the campaign.
According to CNN's KFile report from February, DeSantis expressed support for privatizing Social Security and Medicare during his 2012 US House campaign, but later distanced himself from those comments, stating that the GOP will not make changes to Social Security. More recently, DeSantis has indicated that there will be alterations to the entitlement programs for younger generations.
DeSantis has accused Haley of wanting to raise the retirement age to access Social Security benefits, despite the fact that he voted for this in Congress. Additionally, DeSantis referenced the commission that former President Ronald Reagan created in the 1980s to reform Social Security as a model for the country to come together and address issues. This commission recommended raising the retirement age, a reform that Reagan eventually signed into law.
This story has been updated with additional information.
