Ron DeSantis branded 'liar' after accusing Trump of 'massive gaslighting' during Iowa town hall

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis lambasted former President Donald Trump on Thursday, January 11, for his Iowa town hall the night before, stating in an interview with MSNBC that Trump performed "massive gaslighting."

The 77-year-old Republican presidential frontrunner skipped the fifth GOP primary debate, which was also conducted in Des Moines, Iowa on the same night, in favor of Fox News’ Town Hall discussion where he faced questions from a generally supportive and amicable crowd, per a report from The Hill.

What did DeSantis say in his MSNBC interview on Thursday?

Host of MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ Joe Scarborough asked DeSantis, “Donald Trump was actually attacking you back in 2020 for not shutting the state down more. Is that correct?”

DeSantis replied, “Yeah. Look, I mean, Joe, this was the number one crisis he faced as president, and he chose to defer to Anthony Fauci. They were running commercials in October of 2020 for his re-election, bragging that he followed everything Fauci said. And then when Donald Trump's last day in office, he gave Fauci a commendation.”

The Florida Governor continued, “He forcibly shut down Florida's cruise industry. They shut down churches on military bases, and they were pressuring states. Remember when Brian Kemp reopened Georgia in April, Donald Trump went to the White House podium and attacked him for doing that. He was saying schools should be closed.”

He added, “They attacked me in the summer of 2020 when Florida had its first COVID wave and we had schools and businesses open. So it's massive, massive gaslighting. He was able to do that, I guess, on Fox with no pushback, which was really, well, I guess that's just par for the course at this point. But the reality is he knows that he dropped the ball on that.”

Speaking about Trump’s refusal to participate in a GOP debate, Desantis remarked, “I don’t think that there was very many critical questions, and incidentally we had a debate in Iowa at the same time he was invited, he could have come, he’s not done any debates yet. I think it’s because he knows he can get away with that type of gaslighting at that venue. He knows he wouldn’t be able to get away with that if we were just on the debate stage.”

The Florida Governor then slammed Donald Trump over the pandemic response, stating that the former President boasted about shutting down the economy and saving lives but has since changed his tune.

“He was bragging in 2020 that he shut down the greatest economy in the world. He used to say he saved millions of lives to do that,” DeSantis claimed. “Now he knows Republican voters think that was a mistake, but he cannot admit that he made a mistake.” 

He continued, “I think as a leader, you know, if something doesn’t work, you course-correct. And voters appreciate that. It’s refreshing when you acknowledge that you got something wrong. Donald Trump just can’t do that.”

DeSantis raised concerns about Trump's health and ability to lead while promoting himself to be the strongest Republican presidential candidate for 2024.

He noted, “If you go back to October 2020, that first Trump-Biden debate when Donald Trump was the incumbent president, Biden beat him in that debate I think pretty soundly. So now we’re in a situation where we’re three, four years down the road. I mean, clearly Donald Trump is not the same Trump from 2016. When he gets off the teleprompter, there’s a lot of mistakes. A lot of stream of consciousness stuff.”

DeSantis, on the other hand, dismissed the polling figures, stating that caucus day on Monday, January 15, in the Hawkeye state will present a more positive outlook for his campaign.

He said in conclusion, “The good news is, when people actually get to go in there and vote, then that brings clarity, and then we’re going to be able to be off to the races from there. So we’re excited about Monday night, we’ve done it the right way.”

Internet says DeSantis stands no chance in Iowa caucuses

Despite DeSantis applying all of his efforts, resources, and time, to canvassing the Hawkeye state, polling data suggests he stands no chance against the MAGA strongman.

One X user remarked, "Lockdown Ron lies more than most people exhale."

Another asked, "So Ron is proud of the fact that he ignored the CDC’s advice on safety. How many lives were lost due to his and Trump’s nonchalance about the pandemic?!"

Someone else wrote, "Baffling to me how the anti vax camp can be supportive of Trump who proudly proclaims his efforts to get the vax to market. DeSantis should have attacked this aspect of the Trump administration much earlier and with more intensity. What did DeSantis gain by going soft on Trump."

One user stated, "Ronnie doesn’t understand public health and infectious diseases. He found a “Surgeon General”, quack that says what Ronnie wants him to say and as a result thousands died unnecessary. Disaster has blood on his hands and it’s never going to wash off. He talks about parental rights and then he bullied high school kids into taking off their masks. We can’t afford to have this guy anywhere near the White House."

Another X user remarked, "4 more days until Trump annihilates you in Iowa! Drop out Rob!"

Someone else tweeted, "Surefire sign that a GOP candidate's campaign is in trouble...going on Morning Joe."

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.