Internet divided as DeSantis rejects Vivek Ramaswamy's plea to exit from Maine ballot after Trump ruling

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appeared on 'The Ingraham Angle' on Fox News on Tuesday, January 2, to talk about his presidential election bid ahead of the all-important Iowa caucuses that’s just 13 days away on January 15, 2024.

Host Laura Ingraham grilled the GOP presidential contender on the latest poll numbers, Donald Trump not participating in the Republican primary debate in the Hawkeye state, and Vivek Ramaswamy’s 'call to action' in response to the former president’s disqualification in state primary ballots.

What transpired in Tuesday’s interview with Ron DeSantis?

Ingraham asked, “Governor, I know you're hovering around nineteen percent in Iowa now for some time, and Trump continues to dominate. Do you think Iowa for you, is it your deciding factor?”

“No,” DeSantis replied, adding, “This is a race to get the majority of the delegates. We've done Iowa, the way people who have done well in Iowa have done, which is be on the ground, create the organization.”

He continued, “The polling has never predicted how the results come out because it's a caucus and it's just a different beast. And so we're doing what it takes to win. I've been to all 99 counties and we're going to be able to do a lot more. But it's an important part of the process that you actually come and take questions from people, answer their questions, even participate in debates.”

He then made his intentions clear on his attendance in the upcoming debate by saying, “And so we're going to be participating in a debate on CNN. The former president has declined that, but Governor Haley is going to do it. So, it's going to be a one on one debate between me and Nikki Haley. So, I'm looking forward to doing that. And that'll just help the voters be able to make their best decision going forward.”

Then, host Ingraham posed an interesting question by asking the governor if he would’ve participated in the upcoming debate if the situation was reversed and the former President, in this instance, was trailing by a lot in the polls.

DeSantis responded, “Yes, I would debate because that's what you do. This is about the people. It's not about you. And look, he's got a situation where he gets a lot of air cover from cable networks, including this one. I get that.”

He added, “But the question is, is that the right thing to do? No, the right thing to go is to stand and talk about your record,” Why shouldn't he have to answer questions? I mean, he's running on things like deporting illegals and building a wall, but he did that in ‘16 and didn't get it done. So I think he owes answers to those questions. He has not been willing to do that.”

The Florida governor continued, “Obviously, if you go by polling, it hasn't hurt. But I think now that we're in the new year, I think voters do expect you to answer those questions. I think Iowans expect you to show up and debate.”

Ingraham asked for DeSantis’s response to Vivek Ramaswamy’s comments calling his fellow Republican presidential contenders to take their names off Maine and Colorado, in protest of the former president’s name getting disqualified from the respective states’ primary ballots.

Vivek had stated, “If every Republican removes themselves, that nullifies Maine and it nullifies Colorado, if they remove a candidate unconstitutionally from that ballot. Now, I believe in standing on principle over politics. If they remove Trump's name, my name's off, too. And I call on Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley and Chris Christie to do the same thing."

"Their words are cheap. Action speaks louder than words. Now, their unwillingness to do that, I think, reveals that they're actually complicit in part in what's happening, even if indirectly,” the 38-year-old biotech entrepreneur alleged.

DeSantis calmly dismantled Ramaswamy’s strategy of protest, saying, “Just absurd. I mean, I have a responsibility to accumulate delegates. I'm not going to unilaterally cede any. I'm going to win as many as I can.”

He continued, “And I've been very clear about both of those decisions in those states. It's not consistent with the Constitution. I do expect them to get reversed. I've raised the question about Biden. I mean, if he has greenlit 8 million illegals invading this country, is he eligible to be on so we can play this game all along? I think it's not going to end up well for our country.”

He concluded, “But I do know this, that if any of the other one of us had gotten kicked off the ballot, Trump would be spiking the football. Let's just be clear. That is just the fact of the matter.”

Ingraham agreed with the governor’s closing argument saying, “That's probably accurate. I think that's a fair point.”

Internet trolled Ramaswamy as Governor DeSantis declares he's going to win

People on X (formerly Twitter) mocked Vivek Ramaswamy's extreme ways of protest, this time siding with the Florida Governor who made his thoughts known on how he's willing to climb up the polling number charts, and that is simply, by winning.

One X user remarked: "He ain't wrong."

Another user quipped: "Trump would say kicking his opponent off the ballot was the bravest most beautiful decision any court has ever made."

Another user said: "Absolutely! ViFake isn’t a serious candidate! He’s doing blocking and tackling for #DonTheCon as is #NeverNikki. What does taking yourself off of a ballot do other than keep you from accumulating delegates to win the nomination?"

One user wrote: "One truth. Trump WOULD spike the football. Flip the bat. Stand over guy following dunk. Twirl the driver. And leap over the tennis net. IF he was ever athletic Ron is right on this one."

Another X user remarked: "Is that for real"

Finally, this user tweeted: "That’s the first intelligent thing I’ve ever heard him say."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.