RUSH TRANSCRIPT Caucuses hoping ░░░░░░░░ send a message to ░░░░░░░░ supporters and his rivals ░░░░░░░░ he s in this ░░░░░░░░ the long haul jon ░░░░░░░░ are joined now by ░░░░░░░░ Iowa by Republican presidential ░░░░░░░░ Ron DeSantis Governor DeSantis ░░░░░░░░ morning and thank you ░░░░░░░░ us So let me ░░░░░░░░ you Your closing argument ░░░░░░░░ to those voters who ░░░░░░░░ Republicans who plan to ░░░░░░░░ tomorrow night and to ░░░░░░░░ for Donald Trump what ░░░░░░░░ your closing argument to ░░░░░░░░ to say come vote ░░░░░░░░ me instead For his ░░░░░░░░ I m running for ░░░░░░░░ issues and your family ░░░░░░░░ issues and solely to ░░░░░░░░ this country around I ░░░░░░░░ delivered on 100 of ░░░░░░░░ promises Donald Trump obviously ░░░░░░░░ t build the wall ░░░░░░░░ t drain the swamp ░░░░░░░░ didn t reduce the ░░░░░░░░ I ve also taken ░░░░░░░░ and beaten the Democrats ░░░░░░░░ the left and in ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump as president ░░░░░░░░ got beat by the ░░░░░░░░ at the border He ░░░░░░░░ beat on debt and ░░░░░░░░ we have an opportunity ░░░░░░░░ have a two term ░░░░░░░░ someone that s going ░░░░░░░░ be able to win ░░░░░░░░ and then actually bring ░░░░░░░░ this stuff into fruition ░░░░░░░░ I m the guy ░░░░░░░░ do it Trump is ░░░░░░░░ for his issues What ░░░░░░░░ you mean by that ░░░░░░░░ are Donald Trump s ░░░░░░░░ Things that concern him ░░░░░░░░ the distractions of everything ░░░░░░░░ s going along with ░░░░░░░░ these legal issues has ░░░░░░░░ a huge thing for ░░░░░░░░ You re going to ░░░░░░░░ criminal trials You re ░░░░░░░░ to have a lot ░░░░░░░░ focus on things like ░░░░░░░░ 6th by the media ░░░░░░░░ I think that ends ░░░░░░░░ focusing the election on ░░░░░░░░ that are going to ░░░░░░░░ adventageous for Democrats because ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ talking about the border ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ talking about the economy ░░░░░░░░ re going to be ░░░░░░░░ about all these things ░░░░░░░░ make the election a ░░░░░░░░ on Donald Trump and ░░░░░░░░ think when Republicans have ░░░░░░░░ those elections whether it ░░░░░░░░ 2018 2020 2021 2022 ░░░░░░░░ Democrats have have benefitted ░░░░░░░░ that whereas if I ░░░░░░░░ the nominee we ll ░░░░░░░░ solely focused on the ░░░░░░░░ that matter to the ░░░░░░░░ people I ll be ░░░░░░░░ to hold Biden or ░░░░░░░░ their nominee is accountable ░░░░░░░░ I think it will ░░░░░░░░ a crisp opportunity for ░░░░░░░░ crisp victory for Republicans ░░░░░░░░ so we have an ░░░░░░░░ to make that choice ░░░░░░░░ in Iowa and then ░░░░░░░░ this process but the ░░░░░░░░ that somehow all this ░░░░░░░░ that s swirling around ░░░░░░░░ is going to be ░░░░░░░░ positive in a general ░░░░░░░░ that s just not ░░░░░░░░ Extraordinary Our poll shows ░░░░░░░░ a vast majority of ░░░░░░░░ voters say that they ░░░░░░░░ that Donald Trump has ░░░░░░░░ best chance of winning ░░░░░░░░ November against Biden against ░░░░░░░░ Democrats You obviously outperformed ░░░░░░░░ 2022 in your re ░░░░░░░░ Trump Republicans other than ░░░░░░░░ exceptions like you have ░░░░░░░░ underperformed since 2016 Why ░░░░░░░░ Republican voters thinking saying ░░░░░░░░ are they wrong in ░░░░░░░░ that Donald Trump has ░░░░░░░░ best chance of beating ░░░░░░░░ Of things I think ░░░░░░░░ our voters understandably see ░░░░░░░░ as a very feeble ░░░░░░░░ and poor president and ░░░░░░░░ I think some of ░░░░░░░░ is they think anyone ░░░░░░░░ beat him you know ░░░░░░░░ argument on that is ░░░░░░░░ that would have been ░░░░░░░░ case in 2022 in ░░░░░░░░ midterms We probably never ░░░░░░░░ circumstances more favorable for ░░░░░░░░ party Biden was unpopular ░░░░░░░░ was hot The border ░░░░░░░░ a disaster crime All ░░░░░░░░ issues We should have ░░░░░░░░ able every Republican with ░░░░░░░░ pulse should have been ░░░░░░░░ to win and yet ░░░░░░░░ Democrats made it a ░░░░░░░░ on Trump and his ░░░░░░░░ candidates and there s ░░░░░░░░ certain swing voters that ░░░░░░░░ t going to go ░░░░░░░░ at that point and ░░░░░░░░ think that s been ░░░░░░░░ case over and over ░░░░░░░░ but I think when ░░░░░░░░ just look at Biden ░░░░░░░░ Republicans they re like ░░░░░░░░ this is not a ░░░░░░░░ candidate and then I ░░░░░░░░ there s been an ░░░░░░░░ to talk about national ░░░░░░░░ a year in advance ░░░░░░░░ even more showing that ░░░░░░░░ is winning Now I ░░░░░░░░ think they re starting ░░░░░░░░ show the opposite that ░░░░░░░░ wins these swing states ░░░░░░░░ I would imagine as ░░░░░░░░ year goes on and ░░░░░░░░ Trump be the nominee ░░░░░░░░ those polls I think ░░░░░░░░ going to show Biden ░░░░░░░░ a lead over Trump ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ somewhat of a myiragem ░░░░░░░░ people see that Is ░░░░░░░░ to lose in a ░░░░░░░░ head to head matchup ░░░░░░░░ is because after the ░░░░░░░░ of 2022 we saw ░░░░░░░░ clearly the pathway forward ░░░░░░░░ the party was like ░░░░░░░░ we did in Florida ░░░░░░░░ governor Reynolds who s ░░░░░░░░ me here in Iowa ░░░░░░░░ she did winning big ░░░░░░░░ and Republicans who had ░░░░░░░░ own brand and focused ░░░░░░░░ results performed extraordinarily well ░░░░░░░░ other Republicans who were ░░░░░░░░ aligned with Trump and ░░░░░░░░ issues they underperformed That ░░░░░░░░ just the reality So ░░░░░░░░ fear is is doing ░░░░░░░░ with a rematch would ░░░░░░░░ a lot of the ░░░░░░░░ dynamics we had in ░░░░░░░░ only Donald Trump won ░░░░░░░░ be an incumbent The ░░░░░░░░ of incumbency are incredible ░░░░░░░░ yet we are where ░░░░░░░░ are So I think ░░░░░░░░ have the best path ░░░░░░░░ for the party to ░░░░░░░░ unite the party because ░░░░░░░░ ve got to have ░░░░░░░░ that can energize the ░░░░░░░░ and I think that ░░░░░░░░ obviously has done that ░░░░░░░░ the past I ve ░░░░░░░░ that in Florida I ░░░░░░░░ do it nationally Haley ░░░░░░░░ do that She is ░░░░░░░░ getting support from conservatives ░░░░░░░░ s relying on Democrat ░░░░░░░░ independents for her support ░░░░░░░░ the primary and that ░░░░░░░░ just not the way ░░░░░░░░ can win and galvanize ░░░░░░░░ from the party faithful ░░░░░░░░ ve spent a lot ░░░░░░░░ time in Iowa 99 ░░░░░░░░ You ve put a ░░░░░░░░ effort in You have ░░░░░░░░ asked many times over ░░░░░░░░ last several months a ░░░░░░░░ direct question about how ░░░░░░░░ ll do in Iowa ░░░░░░░░ want to play some ░░░░░░░░ your responses Game by ░░░░░░░░ right now Win the ░░░░░░░░ caucuses Absolutely Caucus We ░░░░░░░░ doing everything that we ░░░░░░░░ to do it Are ░░░░░░░░ going to win Iowa ░░░░░░░░ then I ve learned ░░░░░░░░ it s good to ░░░░░░░░ an underdog When folks ░░░░░░░░ to count you out ░░░░░░░░ they want to say ░░░░░░░░ this When they want ░░░░░░░░ cite these polls I ░░░░░░░░ there are supporters here ░░░░░░░░ I think iowans generally ░░░░░░░░ roll their eyes at ░░░░░░░░ of these polls because ░░░░░░░░ you can poll a ░░░░░░░░ much less one in ░░░░░░░░ 22 our voters are ░░░░░░░░ They re going to ░░░░░░░░ out We ve built ░░░░░░░░ great organization We ve ░░░░░░░░ great enthusiasm on the ░░░░░░░░ I ve visited 99 ░░░░░░░░ and that s what ░░░░░░░░ need to be able ░░░░░░░░ do well We re ░░░░░░░░ to do well but ░░░░░░░░ d rather have people ░░░░░░░░ us out I d ░░░░░░░░ have people lower expectations ░░░░░░░░ us I tend to ░░░░░░░░ better like that Our ░░░░░░░░ are lined up and ░░░░░░░░ have tens of thousands ░░░░░░░░ have committed to caucus ░░░░░░░░ us I ve got ░░░░░░░░ of people that have ░░░░░░░░ just to come in ░░░░░░░░ volunteer People that are ░░░░░░░░ paying their own plane ░░░░░░░░ from Washington state and ░░░░░░░░ so they can trudge ░░░░░░░░ snow in the middle ░░░░░░░░ a blizzard and knock ░░░░░░░░ doors and ask iowans ░░░░░░░░ caucus for me Our ░░░░░░░░ haven a opportunity to ░░░░░░░░ their vote count in ░░░░░░░░ meaningful way A lot ░░░░░░░░ people thought in 2016 ░░░░░░░░ was going to be ░░░░░░░░ but with this weather ░░░░░░░░ could be significantly less ░░░░░░░░ one of our voters ░░░░░░░░ are out there bringing ░░░░░░░░ and family man that ░░░░░░░░ going to pack a ░░░░░░░░