Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was put on the spot during a recent interview with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, where he was challenged on his failure to address former President Donald Trump's character.
The interview took place on Thursday night's edition of CNN's The Source with Kaitlan Collins, marking DeSantis' first appearance on her show.
Towards the end of the interview, Collins pointed out that DeSantis is "far behind" Trump in the polls and noted that he never criticizes Trump's character.
When the governor evaded the question, Collins interrupted him to call him out. She brought up the fact that he has criticized Trump on issues such as Benjamin Netanyahu and abortion, but has never commented on Trump's character. The host asked DeSantis, "What do you make of Trump's character?"
In response, DeSantis shifted the focus to his own priorities and goals. "Well, look, I mean, at the end of the day, to me, I'm about results, and I'm about outcomes," he said. "I mean, Donald Trump's well-documented the different things in that regard. For me, it's who's going to be able to deliver the results."
DeSantis acknowledged that Trump has achieved some things but also failed to deliver on certain promises. He emphasized the need for a new leader who can reverse the decline and get America back on track.
The Florida governor highlighted his own qualifications, stating, "I think we need a new leader, someone that can serve eight years, two 4-year terms and someone that's going to be ready on day one to really be energetic, have some vitality and some vigor and get the job done."
Collins pressed on, pointing out that the character of a president matters. She asked DeSantis why Trump's character is not a concern for him, especially since he is running against the former president.
DeSantis responded by saying that he believes he would be a better president than Trump, but he does not feel the need to criticize Trump's character. He explained that he prefers to focus on his own qualifications and track record of delivering on promises.
Collins challenged DeSantis's statement, pointing out that discussing the character of a president is not a potshot but an important consideration. DeSantis then reiterated his belief that he would be a better president due to his focus, discipline, and commitment to the American people's issues.
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According to Real Clear Politics, Trump is polling well ahead of DeSantis and the rest of the field in the upcoming Republican Primaries.
The former president currently sits at 59.1% of likely GOP voters — while the Florida governor is 46.5 points behind at 12.6% — according to recent polling.
