CNN’s Dana Bash Corners DeSantis Campaign Manager Over Failure to Close the Gap With Trump in Iowa: ‘What’s Happening?’

CNN’s Dana Bash interrogated Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign manager on why the Florida governor has so little to show against Donald Trump despite his efforts in Iowa.

James Uthmeier joined Bash on Tuesday to talk about his boss’ campaign and the town hall he will have tonight on CNN. As Uthmeier hyped the governor as the “true Trump alternative” instead of Nikki Haley, noted that DeSantis has Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ support, plus other big endorsements as DeSantis has tried to strengthen his position in the state ahead of the Iowa Caucuses.

Despite this, Trump still has a massive lead over DeSantis in the Hawkeye state, so that led to Bash’s question: “Why is Governor DeSantis still trailing Donald Trump in Iowa by more than 30 points? What’s happening?”

Uthmeier shrugged off these numbers, arguing they were “The same polls that predicted Donald Trump would win the Iowa caucus back in 2016. They were not accurate. The same polls that predicted a sweeping red wave for Republicans across the country last year. They were inaccurate.” He insisted the DeSantis campaign’s organizational coherence would allow them to beat the odds, but as Bash pointed out, the Trump campaign is also much more comprehensive than it was back in 2016, and “you’re going to have to compete with that.”

Uthmeier’s response:

Listen, if Donald Trump were really winning by 30 points and this election were over, Donald Trump would not be shifting attention and moving personnel into the state. I think Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, both of their behaviors says it all. They see DeSantis as the true threat, the real challenger that can take that victory on caucus night. So they are moving teams into the state. They’re spending tens of millions of dollars jointly together attacking different DeSantis, not attacking one another. That actually, you know, causes reason to believe that maybe Nikki Haley’s running for something other than president, maybe a VP pick or a cabinet pick. Maybe you’re just a spoiler. But the reality is they are moving teams in. But it is far too late.

After questioning Uthmeier on whether he really thinks Haley’s presidential bid isn’t for real, Bash turned to DeSantis’ less-than-forceful criticism of Trump as they race for the GOP nomination. She honed in on this point by noting that the DeSantis campaign and their supporters have spent far more money on attack ads against Haley than going after Trump, who remains the frontrunner.

“If you are trying to get the guy out in front, why not actually aggressively go after him?” Bash asked. “Isn’t that the same thing you’re saying Nikki Haley is doing?”

Watch Uthmeier’s answer above via CNN.

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