(WSVN) - In an interview with Piers Morgan, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hinted at his possible presidential ambitions but stopped short of declaring his candidacy.
When asked if he thinks he could beat President Joe Biden, DeSantis replied, “I think so.”
Morgan then asked, “So you’re running?” to which DeSantis responded, “No, I didn’t say that. I just said I think I could.”
The governor has refrained from making any definitive statements about seeking higher office after he won reelection last fall in a landslide.
Speculation about his political aspirations, however, continues to grow.
His interview with Morgan comes as DeSantis has been seen making the rounds at events one would expect a presidential candidate to attend.
Earlier this month, he was in Iowa after he made stops across the nation to promote his new book, “The Courage to Be Free.”
The speech he delivered in Iowa certainly sounded like a campaign address, with DeSantis touching on a number of hot-button issues and rallying his audience around a message that leaned into the opposition of the left, which has made him a popular figure among conservatives.
During his interview with Morgan, DeSantis said that if he were to run for president, he would focus his campaign on how to beat Biden rather than the other GOP candidates.
But should he decide to run, DeSantis would first face off against former President Donald Trump, the current front-runner for the GOP nomination.
Trump has already started taking shots at the Florida governor, calling him out by name during a recent campaign stop in Iowa.
“Ron DeSantis. Did anyone hear about DeSantis? DeSanctimounious,” said Trump.
When Morgan asked him about Trump’s remarks, DeSantis chuckled off about them.
“I don’t know how to spell DeSanctimonious. I don’t really know what it means, but I kinda like it’s long, it’s got a lot of vowels,” he said.
On Wednesday, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to go after the governor, calling DeSantis “an average Republican governor” and taunting him to announce his presidential run.
But for now, DeSantis said, he is focused on governing Florida. It remains to be seen if he will ultimately decide to throw his hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential election.
DeSantis has been a rising star in the Republican party, particularly for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida. He has been praised by many conservatives for his refusal to enact strict lockdown measures and his emphasis on personal responsibility.
As he continues to govern the state of Florida, all eyes will be on DeSantis to see if he will make a run for the White House.
Morgan’s interview with Gov. DeSantis airs Thursday on “Piers Morgan Uncensored” on Fox Nation.
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