Subscribe to the Inside Washington daily email to receive unique coverage and analysis of the United States directly to your inbox.
!
Receive our complimentary email newsletter, Inside Washington!
Ron DeSantis has expressed remorse for avoiding appearances on mainstream media during the initial phase of his campaign to secure the Republican nomination for president.
The Governor of Florida acknowledged that he should have appeared on more major network shows in order to reach a wider audience of primary voters.
Mr DeSantis scored a narrow victory over Nikki Haley in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, though he lagged far behind Donald Trump – the clear frontrunner in the race.
Next week, the trio will travel to New Hampshire for the state primary.
According to current state polls from FiveThirtyEight, Mr. DeSantis has a 5.2% share of the vote, significantly less than Ms. Haley’s 34.3% and Mr. Trump’s 48%.
During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday, Mr. De Santis admitted that he had not taken advantage of an opportunity to have a stronger start to his campaign.
The Governor of Florida acknowledged that he should have appeared on multiple major network shows to reach a wider range of viewers.
“I entered without utilizing enough media presence. I should have been more proactive and taken advantage of all opportunities, including appearing on corporate shows and other platforms.”
“I began implementing that towards the end of the summer, and even though we had the chance to do it earlier, I believe we could have started off strong and reached a larger audience.”
Initially, during his presidential campaign, Mr. DeSantis showed a lack of openness towards the mainstream media, avoiding interviews and primarily interacting with right-wing sources.
The Florida Governor shifted his approach during the summer upon realizing that he was trailing behind Mr Trump.
“I am now present in all places,” Mr DeSantis informed Hewitt. He mentioned that he will now be open to answering questions from the media at his events and interacting with the same outlets he had previously criticized for showing bias against Republicans.
He stated, “I am willing to attend wherever.” Currently, I am the sole candidate not conducting a campaign from a basement.
Source: independent.co.uk
