DeSantis takes parting shots in Hampton, shifting focus away from NH

HAMPTON — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is shifting his campaign away from New Hampshire less than a week before the state's presidential primary, called out his rival Republican presidential candidates Wednesday for refusing to take part in two now canceled debates before leaving the Granite State.

“I’m the only one that’s not running a basement campaign. They won’t even debate on WMUR,” DeSantis said during a campaign stop at Wally's at Hampton Beach, which may be his final stop in New Hampshire. “Donald Trump won’t debate, he’s not willing to defend his record. And Nikki Haley won’t debate because she’s not willing to defend her record. And, of course, Joe Biden, you can’t get him out of the basement to do much of anything. He’s totally ignoring New Hampshire.”

Despite his remarks, DeSantis, is taking his attention away from New Hampshire and will instead reallocate the majority of his staff to South Carolina, the home state of rival Haley, with its primary in just over a month.

DeSantis sidestepped a voter's question about the lack of attention on New Hampshire as the candidate campaigned in the state Wednesday. He was set to return to Florida later in the day before making stops in South Carolina over the weekend.

The moves were confirmed by a senior campaign official speaking to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to share internal strategy. CBS first reported the news. The move reflects his narrowing path to the 2024 GOP nomination. He lost to Trump by 30 points in the Iowa caucus, just two points ahead of third-place Haley.

A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll conducted this month suggested that Haley could be catching up to Trump in New Hampshire. About 4 in 10 likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire choose Trump, while about one-third picked Haley.

In Hampton, DeSantis touted his second-place finish in Iowa over Haley, who has said she will only participate in debates if Trump or Biden are involved going forward.

Why DeSantis is moving focus to South Carolina

By shifting toward South Carolina, DeSantis' team is trying to take advantage of Haley's perceived weakness in her home state, where Trump appears to have a significant advantage over both of them. Yet DeSantis' allies believe that Haley will be forced to drop out of the race altogether if she loses South Carolina's Feb. 24 primary, giving DeSantis an opportunity to reemerge as a viable Trump alternative heading into the series of primary contests on March 5 known as Super Tuesday.

It's a risky strategy at best.

DeSantis made no mention of his decision when he held his first post-Iowa caucus event Wednesday in Hampton, New Hampshire, a seacoast town where the beach bars and souvenir shops were buried under piles of plowed snow.

DeSantis shares personal stories

DeSantis, who has been criticized for his lack of personality and not talking about his family, started his speech with a story about when he took his son to Fenway Park.

“He’s like, ‘Daddy, stop.' I'm like, 'What?' He's like, 'Listen, I want to see Fenway Park, but I am not a Red Sox fan. I'm a Marlins fan,’” said DeSantis. “Fast forward to Christmas. Santa gets him baseball cards. He’s looking through, anytime there was a Marlin he would put it in his special stack. When he came to Red Sox players, he was putting the Red Sox players in his special stack.”

Later at the event, he shared that his mother was a nurse for 40 years.

DeSantis rarely talks about his biography, which has allowed Trump and others to describe him as awkward and unlikeable. It’s a notable difference from competitor Haley, who often talks about her experience as the daughter of immigrants.

Voters at Wally’s were energetic

A crowd filled Wally’s in Hampton well before the DeSantis event started.

“I have not been this excited about a candidate in my life,” said Amanda Paddock from Gilford. She was with her husband, Richard, and her two young kids, Elodie, 8, and Emerson, 3, whom she homeschools. Elodie wore a white DeSantis hat, and later asked DeSantis a question about school choice.

“Ron embodies everything we’ve ever wanted in a conservative leader, and he’s done and he’s stood by his word,” said Richard Paddock, 39. He expressed his disappointment with his past pick for president, Marco Rubio, for endorsing Donald Trump. “We’re sick of these Republicans that will not stand for what they promised us on the campaign trail. DeSantis is a man of his word.”

Voters ask DeSantis about Nikki Haley, book bans and school

One voter asked DeSantis to respond to Haley saying he was ignoring New Hampshire. DeSantis used it as a way to attack the former United Nations ambassador.

“She’s definitely not someone you can trust,” he said.

DeSantis used the questions to emphasize his record on COVID and not forcing vaccinations, clarify his stance on book banning as against "pornographic" books, and his fight against Disney to "ensure they weren't putting transgenderism in elementary school curriculum."

When one voter asked whether he can beat Joe Biden, DeSantis was definitive.

“Of course,” he said.

Material by The Associated Press and Seacoastonline reporter Margie Cullen are included in this report.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: DeSantis takes parting shots in Hampton, shifting focus away from NH