DeSantis Addresses Trump’s Role In Jan. 6 During Exclusive CNN Interview

In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed confidence in his presidential campaign despite setbacks, a downswing in polls, and mounting campaign costs. He also refrained from supporting nationwide abortion restrictions similar to the six-week ban he sanctioned in Florida and continued to downplay the conflict in Ukraine.

While his campaign has been strongly focused on removing ‘wokeness’ from society, he confessed that not everyone understands this concept, despite his efforts to define it. This stance has led to concerns among Republican donors and operatives, who worry that DeSantis is concentrating too much on the priorities of the most conservative factions within his party.

Regarding former President Donald Trump, who recently announced he was the target of an investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, DeSantis stated that he does not wish to dwell on past events, aiming instead to focus on future endeavors. However, he also critiqued Trump’s response to the January 6, 2021, insurrection, saying he “could’ve come out more forcefully.”

Although he did add:

“I don’t think it serves us good to have a presidential election focused on what happened four years ago in January.”

While DeSantis has traditionally stuck to conservative media outlets for interviews, he recently displayed a willingness to engage with mainstream news outlets and interact with reporters across the country, which marks a significant shift in his media strategy. Trump allies, however, have played down this change in DeSantis’ approach, attributing it to his struggling campaign and dipping popularity.