Trump dubs DeSantis one of the greatest ‘self-destructions I think I’ve ever witnessed’

Former President Trump called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) presidential campaign one of the “great self-destructions I think I’ve ever witnessed” while speaking to supporters in New Hampshire on Friday. 

“When I was in Iowa last week, I’d made a lot of different stops and speeches and everything — every time … I said, ‘Just, you know, don’t believe the polls’ ‘cause it had us up 40 or 50 points or so. I said,’ You got to get out because margins are important, not because of the people we’re running against Nikki.’ I don’t even talk about DeSanctus — whatever happened to him?” Trump said during a rally in Concord, using one of his nicknames to deride DeSantis.  

“Well no – a poll just came out. DeSanctus is at four. What happened to this guy? One of the great self-destructions I think I’ve ever witnessed,” he continued.  

Trump made his remarks just days after he saw a landslide win in the Iowa GOP caucus, with DeSantis trailing the former president by roughly 30 points despite both his campaign and super PAC pouring most of their resources into the Hawkeye State.  

A senior DeSantis campaign official confirmed to The Hill earlier this week that most of the Florida governor’s campaign would be relocating to South Carolina as it looks as the Palmetto State as the next best opportunity for DeSantis to compete against Trump. Still, polls show Trump leads both Haley and DeSantis in New Hampshire and South Carolina. 

An average of New Hampshire surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill shows Trump ahead 11 points over Haley at roughly 46 percent and 35 percent respectively. DeSantis sits at 6 percent. 

Meanwhile, an average of South Carolina surveys from Decision Desk HQ and The Hill shows Trump at about 54 percent, Haley at 25 percent and DeSantis at 9 percent.  

Trump claimed while speaking to supporters that former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley “ain’t doing too good either,” adding she’s “down very low.” 

Haley is facing a make-or-break moment in New Hampshire to win the state over Trump, with some experts saying she’s likely to face questions around her viability if she isn’t able to capture the Granite State.