Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that his state has already won the debate against California ahead of his upcoming debate later this year against California Governor Gavin Newsom.
DeSantis made the remarks during an interview with Newsmax while discussing a recent poll that showed former President Donald Trump blowing out President Joe Biden in a hypothetical rematch in 2024.
&#8220;Just understand, the media, if [Trump] ends up being the nominee, they will not be putting polls out like that,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;It&#8217;ll be the opposite. I mean, they use this to juice a narrative. I think people were showing that that poll had Trump beating Biden with under 35 by 20 points. No Republican has ever won that. So when you see that, you wonder, okay, what are they trying to do?&#8221;
&#8220;I think they&#8217;re trying to do two things. I think the corporate press does want Trump to be the nominee. I think you see that in the coverage, I think you see it how they attack me,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But I also think they&#8217;re trying to get the Democrats to dislodge Biden. They want to show that Biden is weak, and they would like to see a Newsom or somebody else. So I think when the corporate press is doing this, I think people should take it with a grain of salt.&#8221;
DeSantis was then asked if he thought Democrats were going to nominate someone else in 2024 like Newsom.
&#8220;Well, that&#8217;s why he said he would debate me, so I said, let&#8217;s do it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s an important debate for the country. Not like saying who&#8217;s better, Florida or California, because that debate is over because people have voted with their feet. They&#8217;ve left California and come to Florida, not the other way around. He has lost massive amounts of population. No governor in California history has ever witnessed population loss at all on net.&#8221;
&#8220;The future for the country, for what the left would want to do, is just double down on the California policies,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And so, I think it&#8217;s going to be an important debate. I think, I mean, I think he&#8217;s definitely angling for it. I think Biden, I don&#8217;t think Biden is going to step down willingly. I think it&#8217;s harder to dislodge somebody who&#8217;s an incumbent president than people assume it would be. But I think the Democrat establishment really, really is concerned, particularly if they have to run against somebody like me. I think that their view on Trump is that he will help energize their base to come out in ways that maybe some other Republicans won&#8217;t.&#8221;
DeSantis concluded by saying that it was &#8220;really embarrassing&#8221; to see Biden &#8220;floundering on the world stage.&#8221;
WATCH:
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“It’s an important debate for the country,” <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RonDeSantis</a> says about his November debate with Gavin Newsom.
It’s not about “who&#39;s better, Florida or California, because that debate is over…People have voted with their feet. They&#39;ve left California and come to Florida, not the… <a href="https://t.co/4II3LbXdjA">pic.twitter.com/4II3LbXdjA</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1706378498036658527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Republican Presidential Candidate Ron DeSantis Meets With Residents Along The Southern U.S. Border

DeSantis On His Upcoming Debate With Newsom: Florida Already Won The Debate

Debates

Gavin Newsom

Media

Politics

Ron DeSantis

Controversial author Michael Wolff claimed in an interview this week that Tucker Carlson was the source of his reporting that alleged Florida Governor Ron DeSantis kicked Carlson’s dog while meeting with Carlson and his wife, Susie Carlson.
Carlson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-debunks-totally-made-up-story-that-claimed-desantis-kicked-his-dog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> the claims in &#8220;The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty&#8221; last week, telling The Daily Wire that the &#8220;ridiculous&#8221; story was &#8220;totally made up&#8221; and that DeSantis &#8220;never touched my dog, obviously.&#8221;
DeSantis&#8217; presidential campaign also slammed the story, calling it “absurd and false.”
Wolff <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/michael-wolff-fox-news-rupert-murdoch-tucker-carlson-book-excerpt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> in his book:
<blockquote>The Carlsons are dog people with four spaniels, the progeny of other spaniels they have had before, who sleep in their bed. DeSantis pushed the dog under the table. Had he kicked the dog? Susie Carlson’s judgment was clear: She did not ever want to be anywhere near anybody like that ever again. Her husband agreed. DeSantis, in Carlson’s view, was a “fascist.” Forget Ron DeSantis.</blockquote>
In an interview on Monday, Wolff claimed that Carlson was the source for the story: “The source on this is Tucker himself. I just reflect what he told me.”
When asked if Carlson was lying, Wolff said: &#8220;I don’t know, maybe he exaggerated. Maybe he lied. I don’t know. Maybe he regrets saying that. I have no idea.&#8221;
&#8220;I think what I am accurately reflecting is his feelings about Ron DeSantis, and at the moment he seemed to have felt that he kicked the dog,&#8221; Wolff claimed. &#8220;I can’t tell you whether that happened or not. I can tell you with the greatest authority that that’s what he said happened.&#8221;
A spokesperson for Carlson said that Wolff&#8217;s claims that Carlson was behind the story was false.
The spokesperson also responded with the following video of Wolff:
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In response to a request for comment on this story, a spokesperson for Tucker Carlson sent the following video clip: <a href="https://t.co/td7fm3t047">https://t.co/td7fm3t047</a> <a href="https://t.co/MXyPW6xxWh">pic.twitter.com/MXyPW6xxWh</a>
&mdash; Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1706380915230818636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Author Michael Wolff Discusses His Controversial New Book On Trump Administration

Michael Wolff Claims Tucker Carlson Was Behind Ron DeSantis Dog Story; Carlson Fires Back

Tucker Carlson

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> responded on Thursday to a Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> about a land developer in Texas who has created an expansive settlement north of Houston where thousands of illegal immigrants are believed to have settled, saying that he, as president, will put an end to it.
Located in Liberty County, Texas, near the small town of Plum Grove, the Colony Ridge development is a sprawling community that, based on an analysis of publicly available information, is now over 60 square miles and nearly the size of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Its population is estimated to be anywhere between 50,000 to 75,000, and it is growing rapidly thanks to a marketing plan targeted at Texas’ Hispanic population.
&#8220;How have we gotten to a point in this country where we are permitting and facilitating sprawling developments to house thousands of illegal immigrants who have broken our nation&#8217;s laws?&#8221; DeSantis wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. &#8220;Weak, spineless leaders. Our national sovereignty is at stake. We must stop excusing inaction at the top. I will end this.&#8221;
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How have we gotten to a point in this country where we are permitting and facilitating sprawling developments to house thousands of illegal immigrants who have broken our nation&#39;s laws?
Weak, spineless leaders. Our national sovereignty is at stake. We must stop excusing inaction… <a href="https://t.co/Dzs4KwRWjX">https://t.co/Dzs4KwRWjX</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1704947714306322753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire surveyed the development by helicopter to assess the true extent of its growth. The flight began in the wealthy Woodlands neighborhood, but it was only minutes before the designer homes and pools gave way to half-built homes, dilapidated trailers, and heaps of trash.
Houses on the ground fly the flags of foreign countries and many homes display their addresses on spray painted pieces of plywood. Many structures, some of which are not hooked up to running water, were under construction, while others were unfinished, but didn’t appear to be actively getting worked on. At least one plot of land didn’t have any structures at all, just a tent in the corner, nestled between shrubs. Stray dogs without collars could be seen trotting along the side of the underdeveloped streets.
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Colony Ridge sprawls across nearly 60 square miles — about the size of Washington DC — and is 40 miles outside Houston.
Much of CR is a 3rd world shanty town, where foreign flags outnumber American ones.
But how do we know that it&#39;s a hotbed for illegal aliens? Let me show you. <a href="https://t.co/fKeucLI1FU">pic.twitter.com/fKeucLI1FU</a>
&mdash; Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerLndqst/status/1703797918749110562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pressure-builds-in-texas-for-investigation-into-illegal-immigrant-enclave-colony-ridge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Tuesday that he plans to ask Governor Greg Abbott to convene a special legislative session to address concerns about Colony Ridge, which many fear has become a strategic center for Mexican cartels to operate in the United States.
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“Once I get a little more legal foundation on this to see what we can do, I am going to ask Governor Abbott to address some of these issues in a special session,” Patrick said after he was <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-the-michael-berry-show-27764850/episode/texas-lt-gov-describes-being-the-123599444/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> about The Daily Wire’s report on Colony Ridge by Texas radio host Michael Berry. “We can’t have entire cities of people who are here illegally with basically no law enforcement, in some cases I’m told no running water, it’s a very dangerous place to be. This is not what America was built on. This massive complex of people here illegally creating their own city north of Houston, it&#8217;s just unacceptable.”
The call for action on Colony Ridge was echoed by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who told The Daily Wire he has already received additional information on the Colony Ridge development and that “it’s highly concerning.”
“My staff is pushing on the Department of Homeland Security and Texas Department of Public Safety to get us additional information on this. It’s highly concerning,” Roy said. “I had a report given to me this morning. I’m not in a position to fully articulate exactly what’s happening other than it is problematic and a continuation of these wide open border policies … and now you’ve got this, which is cropping up and I believe more of those will be out there.”

Republican Presidential Candidates Speak At The Pray Vote Stand Summit In Washington, D.C.

DeSantis Responds To Daily Wire Report On Illegal Immigrant Development In Texas: ‘I Will End This’

2024 Election

Illegal Immigration

Texas

U.S.

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-would-like-to-know-if-cnn-was-passing-out-kool-aid-joy-behar-rages-over-republican-audience-at-town-hall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joy Behar</a> instructed the studio audience to &#8220;boo&#8221; Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) during Thursday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;The View&#8221; — and co-host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whoopi-balks-at-joke-about-taylor-swift-doing-more-for-the-economy-than-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whoopi Goldberg</a> compared the 2024 presidential hopeful to a classic &#8220;Batman&#8221; villain.
Goldberg brought up the topic, referencing an <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/desantis-talks-trump-black-history-disney-state-gop/story?id=103360807" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> DeSantis did with ABC News anchor Linsey Davis, and laughed off reports that he &#8220;took on&#8221; former President Donald Trump regarding their opposing views on abortion legislation.
&#8220;So, also going on in the world, the Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis,&#8221; Goldberg exaggerated his name, pausing for a reaction from the audience and laughing at herself. &#8220;Interviewed &#8230; &lt;laughs&gt; &#8230; I&#8217;m so sorry. No, no, I&#8217;m giggling, I&#8217;m giggling, because he has an interview with ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis and he &#8216;took on&#8217; you-know-who &#8230; yeah, right &#8230; and other candidates.&#8221;
Goldberg then cued up a clip of the Florida governor, currently polling in second place in most states behind Trump, from that interview. &#8220;He claimed to be pro-life,&#8221; DeSantis said of Trump, who recently referred to &#8220;heartbeat bills&#8221; — which ban abortions approximately midway through the first trimester — as &#8220;terrible ideas.&#8221;
&#8220;For him to then attack people — like Iowa, South Carolina, Florida, all these other states — I thought was a big mistake, but look I mean, I think he&#8217;s taking positions that I think are different from what he took in 2015,&#8221; DeSantis continued.
WATCH:
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After playing soundbites of DeSantis sparing with an ABC reporter, The View cast tears open eardrums with their caterwauling. &quot;Boo boo,&quot; Joy Behar directs the audience to jeer. Whoopi compares him to the Penguin and racist Sunny Hostin talks about skin color. <a href="https://t.co/UCNpnMnxfY">pic.twitter.com/UCNpnMnxfY</a>
&mdash; Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1704878339863830981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
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As soon as the clip ended, Behar began to boo — and loudly encouraged the studio audience to join her.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-12608">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
&#8220;You know what,&#8221; Goldberg said as the boos subsided, appearing exasperated. &#8220;I just need to — it&#8217;s — it&#8217;s — you know what he&#8217;s like? It&#8217;s – do you remember the Penguin on &#8216;Batman&#8217;?&#8221;
The audience laughed as Goldberg continued with her comparison, mocking the voice and mannerisms of the cartoon villain and suggesting that somehow DeSantis reminded her of that.
The cast continued to mock DeSantis — and Florida in general — complaining about Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo&#8217;s comments on continued calls for COVID booster shots and suggesting he should be &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/1704881587337236871" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federally charged</a>&#8221; for malpractice for not recommending them.

ABC’s “The View” – Season 25

Joy Behar Tells Studio Audience To ‘Boo’ Ron DeSantis, Whoopi Calls Him A ‘Batman’ Villain

Joy Behar Tells Studio Audience To 'Boo' Ron DeSantis, Whoopi Calls Him A 'Batman' Villain

Joy Behar

The View

Whoopi Goldberg

Republican presidential candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> unveiled his energy agenda during an event in Midland, Texas, on Wednesday, promising that his policies will bring back $2 gas and turn the United States into the world&#8217;s leading energy producer.
DeSantis made the announcement after previously rolling out his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-excuses-desantis-rolls-out-plan-to-shut-down-illegal-immigration-during-border-visit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a> to deal with the border crisis in June, his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-unveils-plan-to-start-ripping-all-the-woke-out-of-the-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a> to fix the U.S. military in July, and his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-releases-his-10-point-declaration-of-economic-independence-policy-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a> to make America economically independent in August.
DeSantis&#8217; energy plan — dubbed &#8220;Freedom to Fuel&#8221; — includes six core components, including: Restore American Energy Dominance, Save the American Automobile, Elevate Evidence Over Ideology, Reform Environmental Permitting and End Green Lawfare, Jump-Start Critical Mineral and Federal Land Development and Build the Most Efficient, Affordable, and Reliable Energy Grid in the World.
&#8220;We have it in our power to reverse the country&#8217;s decline and engineer an incredible comeback for the American people,&#8221; DeSantis said at a Permian Deep Rock Oil Company drilling site. &#8220;And one of the ways we need to do that is by achieving American energy dominance.&#8221;
DeSantis&#8217; plan calls for cutting Biden-era regulations that are holding back oil and gas production, scrapping global climate agendas, allowing the U.S. to export energy as a way of creating global stability, pursuing nuclear energy, reversing electric vehicle mandates, eliminating subsidies for electric vehicles, stopping California from setting national standards, eliminating ESG regulations, greenlighting mining for rare earth elements on federal land, oppose all policies that increase reliance on China, strengthen the national grid, and <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamDeSantis/status/1704511348279792074">more</a>.
DeSantis said that Biden&#8217;s policies have &#8220;exacerbated the inflation that so many families have been laboring under for these last few years&#8221; and destroyed billions of dollars of economic benefits for Americans.
&#8220;So here&#8217;s what&#8217;s happening. On January 20th, 2025, there&#8217;s going to be a new sheriff in town,&#8221; he said in his nearly 40-minute speech. &#8220;As your president, I will restore our freedom to fuel. I will ensure that the United States of America is the dominant energy producer in the entire world. I will ensure that this country does not have to rely on hostile nations for its energy needs ever again.&#8221;
He also stressed the importance of letting Americans choose the type of automobile that they want to drive and &#8220;saving the traditional American automobile.&#8221;
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&#8220;Our self-imposed handcuffs on oil, gas, and critical mineral extraction will be removed,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The days of rolling blackouts and unreliable grids will be finished. To every American outraged by rising gas prices under Biden, and they are rising, and I think nationally, it is coming close to $4 a gallon. Our target goal in 2025, we want that gas at $2 a gallon, we certainly will move in that direction if we implement all these policies.&#8221;
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Republican Presidential Candidate Ron DeSantis Campaigns In Texas

DeSantis Proposes Plan He Says Will Achieve $2 Gas, Turn U.S. Into World’s Top Energy Producer

DeSantis Proposes Plan He Says Will Achieve $2 Gas, Turn U.S. Into World's Top Energy Producer

Energy

Gas Prices

Oil and Gas

Former Fox News host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tucker-carlson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tucker Carlson</a> debunked a claim this week that Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> kicked Carlson&#8217;s dog while meeting with Carlson and his wife, Susie Carlson.
The claim was contained in a new book — &#8220;The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty&#8221; — from author Michael Wolff, whose work in the past has often been criticized as not accurate.
Wolff <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/michael-wolff-fox-news-rupert-murdoch-tucker-carlson-book-excerpt.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> in his book:
<blockquote>The Carlsons are dog people with four spaniels, the progeny of other spaniels they have had before, who sleep in their bed. DeSantis pushed the dog under the table. Had he kicked the dog? Susie Carlson’s judgment was clear: She did not ever want to be anywhere near anybody like that ever again. Her husband agreed. DeSantis, in Carlson’s view, was a “fascist.” Forget Ron DeSantis.</blockquote>
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Carlson said of Wolff&#8217;s claims: “It’s totally made up. Ridiculous actually.”
&#8220;This is absurd,&#8221; Carlson <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ron-desantis-tucker-carlson-dog-table-michael-wolff-book-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a separate statement to Insider. &#8220;He never touched my dog, obviously.&#8221;
DeSantis&#8217; presidential campaign also strongly pushed back on the story, calling it &#8220;absurd and false.&#8221;
&#8220;Some will say or write anything to attack Ron DeSantis because they know he presents a threat to their worldview,&#8221; said Communications Director Andrew Romeo. &#8220;But rest assured that as president the one thing he will squarely kick is the DC elitists in both parties either under or over the table, and that&#8217;s why they are so desperately fighting back.&#8221;
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Wolff&#8217;s reputation is so suspect that CNN wrote a report on Tuesday urging people to be skeptical of Wolff&#8217;s new book attacking their archrival Fox News.
&#8220;When reading and reporting on the book, journalists and the public at large would be smart not to mistake Wolff’s word for the word of God,&#8221; CNN&#8217;s left-wing media reporter Oliver Darcy <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/19/media/michael-wolff-fox-news-book-reliable-sources/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. &#8220;Wolff has a history of printing claims that end up being strongly disputed by the subjects themselves. Critics have chided him in the past for sloppy or unethical reporting practices. And his bestselling &#8216;Fire &amp; Fury&#8217; even contained outright factual errors.&#8221;
CNN noted that a &#8220;quick glance&#8221; of Wolff&#8217;s new book showed that he made &#8220;sloppy mistakes, struggling to even spell the names of top Fox News anchors Bret Baier and Jesse Watters.&#8221;
Sources at Fox News told CNN that Wolff did not even attempt to fact check the claims in his book.
&#8220;When it comes to reporting on any subject, however, taking basic fact-checking measures is important,&#8221; CNN added. &#8220;With Fox News, where an author might be basing major claims using less-than-reliable sources, the risks are more pronounced, making such reporting efforts even more paramount. Some sources could harbor an agenda — and it takes little effort or risk to provide information as an unnamed source.&#8221;

Former President Trump Addresses The Turning Points Action Conference In West Palm Beach, California

Tucker Carlson Debunks ‘Totally Made Up’ Story That Claimed DeSantis Kicked His Dog

Tucker Carlson Debunks 'Totally Made Up' Story That Claimed DeSantis Kicked His Dog

Elections

Fox News

Former President Donald Trump’s massive lead in the Republican primary has grown even larger, according to the latest Real Clear Politics polling average. 
Trump, who has enjoyed a lead in the polls since announcing his candidacy in November 2022, is currently sitting at 58.8% in the national <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCP average</a>, a new high for the former president as he faces a crowded field of GOP challengers. Trump leads his closest challenger, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who sits at 12.5%, by nearly 50 percentage points as DeSantis has fallen more than ten percentage points in the polling average since early June.
Those trailing behind Trump and DeSantis are tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (7.5%), former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (5.0%), former Vice President Mike Pence (4.1%), former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (2.3%), and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina (2.3%). North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who both qualified for the first GOP debate last month, are both polling below 1%, according to the RCP average. 
In each of the latest three polls, which came from Emerson, Yahoo News, and Morning Consult, Trump polled at 59%, while Harvard-Harris and Economist/YouGov polls taken earlier last week put Trump at 57% and 55%, respectively. DeSantis&#8217; best showing nationally came in the Economist/YouGov poll, which has shown him at 16% in each of its last three polls. Ramaswamy hit double digits at 10% in the Morning Consult poll and came within two percentage points of DeSantis in the Harvard-Harris poll. 
The positive polling for Trump also transfers to a hypothetical general election matchup with President Joe Biden as Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/latest-2024-presidential-polling-trump-rises-above-biden-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taken over</a> the lead, <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/general-election-trump-vs-biden-7383.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beating</a> Biden 45.1% to 44.6% nationally. 
Trump’s decision to skip the first Republican debate appears to have had no effect on his polling nationally, and the former president will also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-plans-to-skip-second-gop-debate-to-rally-with-striking-autoworkers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skip the second debate</a> next week, opting instead to speak to striking auto workers in Detroit. 
It remains unclear whether Trump will lose support in the polls for his latest comments on abortion, which were harshly criticized by many conservatives. Trump was interviewed by journalist Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press,” telling the journalist that he thinks it was “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/governors-kemp-reynolds-push-back-on-trump-calling-heartbeat-laws-a-terrible-thing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a terrible mistake</a>” for Republican states to pass six-week abortion bans, also known as heartbeat bills. 
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While Trump enjoys a nearly 50 percentage point lead nationally, his support in Iowa, the first caucus state in the GOP primary, remains under 50%. As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/latest-presidential-polls-where-the-candidates-stand-in-iowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week, Trump stands at 46.0% in Iowa, and DeSantis holds second place at 15.8%, according to the latest RCP average. Scott (9.0%) and Haley (7.0%) got a recent boost in the state, coming in third and fourth place. Ramaswamy (6.5%), Pence (3.5%), Christie (3.5%), and Burgum (2.5%) round out the polling of candidates who hit above 2% in Iowa.

Donald Trump

Latest Presidential Polls: Trump’s National Lead Hits New High

Latest Presidential Polls: Trump's National Lead Hits New High

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Two Republican governors pushed back Tuesday on former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> calling heartbeat laws &#8220;a terrible thing&#8221; in a recent interview.
Trump made the remarks during a Sunday <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hits-desantis-for-signing-heartbeat-law-a-terrible-thing-and-a-terrible-mistake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Kristen Welker on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” when pressed on specifics regarding at what point he believes that abortion should be banned.
After talking on the matter for several minutes, Trump took a shot at his top challenger for the GOP presidential nomination, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, over the issue.
“I mean, DeSanctus is willing to sign a five-week and six-week ban,” Trump said.
“Would you support that?” Welker asked. “You think that goes too far?”
“I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake,” Trump answered.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ga-governor-signs-heartbeat-bill-law-defying-hank-berrien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a heartbeat bill into law back in 2019, responded to Trump&#8217;s remarks in a statement to The Daily Wire.
&#8220;There’s nothing ‘terrible’ about standing up for life,&#8221; Kemp said. &#8220;In addition to passing the heartbeat bill, Georgia has proudly protected and valued life through implementing adoption and foster care reform, and combatting human trafficking — and will continue to do so as long as I’m governor.&#8221;
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Soon after Kemp made his statement, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds also released a statement.
&#8220;It’s never a &#8216;terrible thing&#8217; to protect innocent life,&#8221; Reynolds wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. &#8220;I’m proud of the fetal heartbeat bill the Iowa legislature passed and I signed in 2018 and again earlier this year.&#8221;
DeSantis, who had responded on Monday to Trump&#8217;s comment, replied to Reynolds&#8217; statement on X, writing: &#8220;I applaud Governor @KimReynoldsIA and the Iowa legislature for promoting a culture of life. Donald Trump is wrong to attack the heartbeat bill as &#8216;terrible.&#8217; Standing for life is a noble cause.&#8221;
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I applaud Governor <a href="https://twitter.com/KimReynoldsIA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KimReynoldsIA</a> and the Iowa legislature for promoting a culture of life.
Donald Trump is wrong to attack the heartbeat bill as “terrible.”
Standing for life is a noble cause. <a href="https://t.co/HhJ6uDw2cV">https://t.co/HhJ6uDw2cV</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1704278139763892678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A few other Republican governors responded by issuing statements signaling their unwavering support of the pro-life movement.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee responded to a request for comment from The Daily Wire by saying: &#8220;My deeply held conviction is that protecting every life — including the life of any unborn child — is a matter of human dignity, not a matter of politics. In Tennessee, we are committed to protecting the dignity of the unborn while also ensuring that mothers, children and families have access to critical resources and our strongest support.&#8221;
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt told The Daily Wire: &#8220;I promised Oklahomans that as governor I would sign every piece of pro-life legislation that came across that desk. I have kept that promise and I will continue to keep that promise. In Oklahoma, we will always stand up for life.&#8221;
The office of North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum responded by explaining North Dakota&#8217;s laws on abortion, but did not directly address Trump&#8217;s remarks.
The remaining Republican governors who, as <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/LSB/LSB10779">identified</a> by the Congressional Research Service, have either signed heartbeat laws or whose states already have them, have not yet responded.
DeSantis initially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-slams-trump-for-calling-heartbeat-law-terrible-what-trump-said-was-terrible">responded</a> to Trump&#8217;s direct criticism of him on Monday during a radio interview in Iowa with O. Kay Henderson, stating, “Protecting babies with heartbeats is not terrible. Donald Trump may think it’s terrible, but I think protecting babies with heartbeats is noble and just, and I’m proud to have signed the heartbeat bill in Florida. And I know Iowa has similar legislation.”
“I don’t know how you can even make the claim that you’re somehow pro-life if you’re criticizing states for enacting pro-life protections for babies that have heartbeats,” he continued. “And so I thought him saying that those bills were terrible, I think, was a terrible statement, and I think it’s a window into how he’s changing as he’s running this campaign. I think he’s changing in a way that is not consistent with the values of the people in Iowa.”

Brian Kemp Kim Reynolds

Governors Kemp, Reynolds Push Back On Trump Calling Heartbeat Laws ‘A Terrible Thing’

Brian Kemp

Kim Reynolds

Florida Governor responded to criticism over the weekend from former President Donald Trump, who slammed DeSantis for signing a pro-life heartbeat bill into law that bans abortion at 6 weeks.
Trump made the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hits-desantis-for-signing-heartbeat-law-a-terrible-thing-and-a-terrible-mistake">remarks</a> during a Sunday interview with Kristen Welker on NBC News’s “Meet The Press” in which she pressed to get specifics on where Trump stood on the issue, telling him that her goal was to “give voters who are going to be weighing in on this election a very clear sense of where you stand.”
“I mean, DeSanctus is willing to sign a five-week and six-week ban,” Trump said.
“Would you support that?” Welker asked. “You think that goes too far?”
“I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake,” Trump answered.
DeSantis responded to the remarks during an interview with O. Kay Henderson on Radio Iowa, saying: &#8220;Protecting babies with heartbeats is not terrible.&#8221;
&#8220;Donald Trump may think it&#8217;s terrible, but I think protecting babies with heartbeats is noble and just, and I&#8217;m proud to have signed the heartbeat bill in Florida,&#8221; he said in a clip tweeted out by the DeSantis War Room. &#8220;And I know Iowa has similar legislation.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know how you can even make the claim that you&#8217;re somehow pro-life if you&#8217;re criticizing states for enacting pro-life protections for babies that have heartbeats,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And so I thought him saying that those bills were terrible, I think, was a terrible statement, and I think it&#8217;s a window into how he&#8217;s changing as he&#8217;s running this campaign. I think he&#8217;s changing in a way that is not consistent with the values of the people in Iowa.&#8221;
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🔥 LISTEN: DeSantis reacts to Trump pledging to appease Democrats in a second term.
“It’s a window into how he’s changing as he’s running this campaign…I’ve given him credit for his accomplishments…but anytime he did a deal with Democrats whether it was on budget, whether it… <a href="https://t.co/ZZ18SREGVw">pic.twitter.com/ZZ18SREGVw</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1703896043023114316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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DeSantis said that people needed to stand up for what they believe in and fight for it.
&#8220;I think that there are issues that come from your beliefs, and I think that you advance those because you think they&#8217;re right,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And that&#8217;s true for me in terms of the heartbeat bill. It&#8217;s also true for me in other stands I&#8217;ve taken as governor. I mean we leaned in against Fauci, against the COVID lockdowns, we made sure kids were in school just like your governor in Iowa did. We fought for businesses and individuals. And that was probably very unpopular. Certainly in the media, I got attacked relentlessly. And I didn&#8217;t know how it worked out politically. But you know, I&#8217;m a leader. I’ve got to do what&#8217;s right, and we can let the chips fall where they may.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nbcs-moderator-told-trump-no-one-is-calling-for-late-term-abortions-heres-why-shes-wrong">RELATED: &#8220;NBC’s Moderator Told Trump ‘No One’ Is Calling For Late-Term Abortions. Here’s Why She’s Wrong.&#8221;</a>

DeSantis Slams Trump For Calling Heartbeat Law ‘Terrible’: What Trump Said Was ‘Terrible’

Abortion

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis fired back at House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Monday after McCarthy took a shot at him over the weekend for backing members of Congress that are threatening to shut down the government if conservative agenda items are not met.
Politico reported last week that DeSantis — who is one of the founding members of the House Freedom Caucus — told several Republican members that he had their backs in their push for change to happen.
McCarthy took a shot at DeSantis during a Sunday interview with Maria Bartiromo on &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/speaker-mccarthy-predicts-trump-gop-nominee-slams-desantis-not-same-level">saying</a> that &#8220;he&#8217;s not at the same level as President Trump by any shape or form.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump is beating Biden right now in the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html">polls</a>. He is stronger than he has ever been in this process, and, look, I served with Ron DeSantis — he&#8217;s not at the same level as President Trump by any shape or form,&#8221; said McCarthy. &#8220;He would not have gotten elected without President Trump&#8217;s endorsement,&#8221; he aded, echoing former President Donald Trump&#8217;s claims about the Florida governor, who has generally been seen as Trump&#8217;s top challenger for the 2024 nomination.
As for the threat of a shutdown, McCarthy said, &#8220;I don&#8217;t think that would work anywhere. A shutdown would only give strength to the Democrats. It would give the power to Biden. It wouldn&#8217;t pay our troops. It wouldn&#8217;t pay our border agents.&#8221;
A reporter asked DeSantis during a press conference on Monday what his take was on McCarthy effectively saying that he does not believe that DeSantis is fit to lead. DeSantis responded by laughing.
&#8220;Donald Trump, he supported Kevin McCarthy very strongly for Speaker,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think he would&#8217;ve won the speaker vote. Donald Trump was instrumental in him earning that Speaker&#8217;s gavel,&#8221; he added, referencing McCarthy&#8217;s grueling battle to become Speaker, which took <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kevin-mccarthy-wins-gop-nomination-for-house-speaker-over-conservative-protests">15 rounds</a> of voting.
&#8220;And they worked hand in glove really throughout his whole presidency,&#8221; DeSantis continued. &#8220;They were on the same team on every major spending bill that came down the, the pike. And they ended up together adding $7.8 trillion to our national debt. Never in a four-year period has that much been added than what they did together. And so he said that we&#8217;re different. We are different because in Florida we run budget surpluses. We&#8217;ve paid down almost 25% of our state&#8217;s debt. Just since I&#8217;ve been governor, all the debt all the way up for all of Florida&#8217;s history, we&#8217;ve knocked off almost 25% of it.&#8221;
&#8220;We have the number one rated economy in the country. We&#8217;ve cut taxes, we&#8217;ve expanded school choice, and we&#8217;ve delivered in a way that has made the state sustainable. I am not somebody who the D.C. establishment wants to see up there. There&#8217;s no question about that, because they know that a lot of things will be changing if I&#8217;m there.&#8221;
&#8220;I would just also point out that we in Florida have a right to expect that they get some stuff done for us like they said they would when they campaigned because Florida was instrumental in them even having the majority to begin with,&#8221; DeSantis continued, referencing the &#8220;red wave&#8221; in Florida in 2022. &#8220;[T]he only reason they even got the majority is because the governor candidate in New York overperformed, and because we delivered a red tsunami in Florida that gave them an extra four seats,&#8221; he added, referencing his push to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/11/17/ron-desantis-maps-gop-congress-house-florida-00066305">redraw</a> the congressional map in the state.
&#8220;But I&#8217;m not somebody who&#8217;s ever gonna be the favorite of the D.C. establishment,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;And you know what? I wear that as a badge of honor.&#8221;
DeSantis posted the clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding: &#8220;Kevin McCarthy says I’m a little different from Donald Trump. I agree.&#8221;
&#8220;In Florida, we run budget surpluses. We’ve paid down our debt. I’ve kept every one of my promises,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Meanwhile, McCarthy and Trump worked together to add $7 trillion — more debt than our country racked up in its first 200 years — to the debt in just four years. It’s understandable that the DC Establishment doesn’t want me to be president — and I wear that as a badge of honor.&#8221;
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Kevin McCarthy says I’m a little different from Donald Trump. I agree.
In Florida, we run budget surpluses. We’ve paid down our debt. I’ve kept every one of my promises.
Meanwhile, McCarthy and Trump worked together to add $7 trillion — more debt than our country racked up in… <a href="https://t.co/TqZih4t8U8">pic.twitter.com/TqZih4t8U8</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1703845915625218142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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GOP Presidential Candidates Speak At The Family Research Council Summit

DeSantis Fires Back At Speaker McCarthy: ‘I’ve Kept Every One Of My Promises’

Kevin McCarthy

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the U.S. Senate on Monday after the chamber of Congress eliminated its dress code for lawmakers over the weekend, appearing to accommodate Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman.
&#8220;We need to be lifting up our standards in this country, not dumbing down our standards in this country,&#8221; DeSantis <a href="https://twitter.com/ReOpenChris/status/1703844051064177062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-fetterman-rule-senate-cuts-dress-code-enforcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed</a> the Senate&#8217;s sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing a dress code for senators a few months after Fetterman made headlines for disregarding the rules.
The change is expected to go into effect next week.
DeSantis <a href="https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/desantis-speaking-at-sheriffs-office-hangar-in-jacksonville/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> at Craig Municipal Airport in Jacksonville on Monday, announcing that all Florida first responders would receive $1,000 bonuses for the third year in a row. But as the governor balances his responsibilities as the state&#8217;s top official and bids for the White House in 2024, he took a moment to slam the Senate for allowing lawmakers to choose what they wear on the Senate floor.
&#8220;Did you guys hear the U.S. Senate just eliminated its dress code?&#8221; he asked. &#8220;Because you got this guy from Pennsylvania who&#8217;s got a lot of problems — I mean, let&#8217;s just be honest, like how he got elected? Well, I mean, he got elected because they didn&#8217;t want the alternative.&#8221;
&#8220;But he wears like sweatshirts and hoodies and shorts — and that&#8217;s his thing,&#8221; he added. &#8220;So he would campaign in that, which is your prerogative, right? I mean, if that&#8217;s what you want to do. But to show up in the United States Senate with that and not have the decency to put on proper attire. I think it&#8217;s disrespectful to the body. And I think the fact that the Senate changed the rules to accommodate that, you know, I think looks — speaks very poorly to how they consider that.&#8221;
Relaxing enforcement of the dress code, which appears to be more of a tradition than a written policy, is sure to make life easier for Fetterman in particular. The freshman senator, who has a penchant for hoodies and shorts, reportedly worked around the rules for the Senate floor by popping in to vote from the doorway of the Democratic cloakroom or side entrance.
Fetterman&#8217;s preference for cozy attire was seen as a good sign for the senator as he struggled with depression and anxiety following a near-fatal stroke last year, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fetterman-depression-senate-return-hoodies-shorts-771886ba8f3caee9be9674d186cd656b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press</a>.
&#8220;People close to Fetterman say his relaxed, comfortable style is a sign that the senator is making a robust recovery after six weeks of inpatient treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where medical professionals treated him for clinical depression with medication and fitted him for hearing aids for hearing loss that had made it harder for him to communicate,&#8221; the report said.
Axios noted the clothing standards were previously relaxed to allow women to show their arms.
 Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

2024 Presidential Candidates Participate In Republican Primary Debate

DeSantis Criticizes U.S. Senate Dress Code Change To Accommodate Fetterman

Chuck Schumer

Florida

John Fetterman

U.S. Senate

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> said over the weekend that Republican members of the House of Representatives should do what they promised to do when they campaigned and not worry about what the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate might be willing to accept.
DeSantis made the remarks during a Fox News interview on Sunday with Howard Kurtz on &#8220;Media Buzz.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, here&#8217;s what I would just recommend they do. They campaigned on certain things. Our voters did give them the House — not by big majorities, but they give it to them,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So just do what you say you&#8217;re going to do. The Senate can do what they&#8217;re going to do. I understand that there&#8217;s to be negotiations after that. But what I don&#8217;t think they should do is say, &#8216;oh, well, you know, the Senate won&#8217;t accept what we&#8217;re going to do, so we&#8217;re not going to do what we believe in.'&#8221;
&#8220;Do what you believe in because the country is going insolvent, and they&#8217;ve got to show a better way,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And even if they don&#8217;t ultimately succeed on everything, at least they put the flag in the ground and showed, after 2024, if we have unified Republican control, we have a path to get this nation back to fiscal sanity. And part of it is the dollars and cents, but the debt — I mean, you&#8217;ve covered it, how much the debt has gone up just in the last five or six years. And it is under both parties, 100%.&#8221;
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ICYMI: DeSantis pushed the House GOP to hold firm on spending 
“They campaigned on certain things, our voters did give them the House…so just do what you say you’re gonna do!”
“Do what you believe in, because the country is going insolvent” <a href="https://t.co/FYp0FAKc4H">pic.twitter.com/FYp0FAKc4H</a>
&mdash; John Hasson (@SonofHas) <a href="https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1703532404130869576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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DeSantis later signaled that he did support the House&#8217;s impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, saying: &#8220;The corruption is really, really troubling when you have that many millions of dollars flowing into his family&#8217;s coffers.&#8221;
&#8220;They are totally within their right to do it,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I mean, look, we could sit here and talk about the proper role of the impeachment, but they opened this on Trump based on a phone call to Ukraine. There&#8217;s way more evidence for this one, and they&#8217;ve got a lot of investigatory work to do, but I think they should pursue it.&#8221;
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DeSantis comes out in favor of the impeachment inquiry: 
“The corruption is really, really troubling”
“They opened this on Trump based on a phone call…there’s WAY more evidence for this one.” <a href="https://t.co/r6ILGSGeQ9">pic.twitter.com/r6ILGSGeQ9</a>
&mdash; John Hasson (@SonofHas) <a href="https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1703531210603901131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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DeSantis To House Republicans On Spending Fight: ‘Do What You Say You’re Going To Do’

House Republicans

U.S. House of Representatives

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