Donald Trump has won the Iowa caucuses, marking a significant step in his bid for a third consecutive Republican nomination. However, the victory, announced by The Associated Press just 31 minutes after the caucuses began on Monday night, has ignited a firestorm of controversy from Ron DeSantis’s campaign.
Staffers and supporters of DeSantis expressed profound outrage at the early declaration in favor of Trump, both at his watch party and on social media. The New York Times reported a widespread sense of disbelief and anger among the DeSantis camp, suggesting a deep-seated concern over media influence in the electoral process.
Andrew Romeo, Ron DeSantis’s communications director, made a striking statement, accusing the media of election interference.
“Absolutely outrageous that the media would participate in election interference by calling the race before tens of thousands of Iowans even had a chance to vote. The media is in the tank for Trump and this is the most egregious example yet,” Romeo wrote.
Absolutely outrageous that the media would participate in election interference by calling the race before tens of thousands of Iowans even had a chance to vote. The media is in the tank for Trump and this is the most egregious example yet.
— Andrew Romeo (@andrewromeo33) January 16, 2024
Ron’s campaign manager, James Uthmeier, expressed frustration in an interview that the race was declared while voting was still underway.
WATCH:
Campaign Manager @JamesUthmeierFL slams the “appalling” decision of the corporate media to call the race before all votes were cast:
“I personally spoke in multiple precincts and while I’m presenting and delivering the closing argument for Ron DeSantis and actually flipping… pic.twitter.com/Anv1Uc6eGt
— DeSantis War Room (@DeSantisWarRoom) January 16, 2024
Adding to the chorus of disapproval, Christina Pushaw, who serves as rapid response director for Ron DeSantis’s 2024 presidential campaign, amplified these sentiments with a retweet that criticized the media’s timing.
The retweet stated, “They are calling it as the caucus sites are still ongoing. If that isn’t election interference I don’t know what is. They are literally trying to force people to go home because it’s already over according to the news networks. In 2024 news travels fast. We’ve become a dictatorship that picks our representatives. Wow, just wow!”
In a statement to FOX News, DeSantis campaign official said, “They threw everything at Ron DeSantis. They couldn’t kill him. He is not only still standing, but he’s now earned his ticket out of Iowa. This is going to be a long battle ahead, but that is what this campaign is built for. The stakes are too high for this nation and we will not back down.”
NEW: Statement from senior @RonDeSantis campaign official to @FoxNews:
“They threw everything at Ron DeSantis. They couldn’t kill him. He is not only still standing, but he’s now earned his ticket out of Iowa. This is going to be a long battle ahead, but that is what this…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 16, 2024
This story has been updated with additional information.
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