#DeSantis, Fox’s Cavuto spar over Iowa results: ‘You didn’t win a single county’

GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, who came in second place Monday in the Iowa caucuses, said negativity surrounding the loss was “just part of the business.”

“That’s just the nature of it,” DeSantis said Friday, when asked by Fox News host Neil Cavuto about how he felt in the aftermath. “I can tell you this, though, if you look at Iowa, you know, we did it right.”

“I mean, we got the endorsement of the governor,” he continued. “We won the debates, the Miami debate, the Newsom debate, the NewsNation debate, the CNN debate, we did televised town halls, you know, got great response.”

Cavuto interrupted the Florida governor, claiming he hadn’t gotten the response he needed.

“But, you didn’t,” the Fox News host said. “You didn’t win a single county.”

DeSantis responded by arguing that his campaign has had an “uphill battle.” 

“We dug in, and we executed and we did run hard,” the GOP hopeful said. “We did do well.”

Former President Trump, the current GOP front-runner, easily won the Iowa caucuses Monday — winning 98 of the 99 counties. Despite edging out former South Carolina Gov. Haley for second place overall, Haley was able to garner the support of one full county.

According to election returns from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, DeSantis earned 21.2 percent of the vote in the Hawkeye State — almost 30 points behind Trump, who earned 51 percent of the vote. Haley came in third with 19.1 percent of the vote.

The news comes as voters in the Granite State prepare for next week’s first-in-the-nation primary.

DeSantis us currently sitting at 5.8 percent support in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s New Hampshire polling average. Trump, at 45.6 percent, is still in the lead in the state, but Haley is gaining on him with 35 percent.

Trump slammed DeSantis during a rally in the state on Friday, calling his presidential campaign one of the greatest “self-destructions I think I’ve ever witnessed.”

“Well no — a poll just came out. DeSanctus is at four. What happened to this guy?” he said, using a nickname he has used for the Florida governor throughout the 2024 race.