DeSantis regrets early media strategy: 'We had an opportunity'

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday expressed regret that he did not pursue an aggressive media blitz during his presidential campaign and attempt to appear on more programs.

"And I came in not really doing as much media. I should have just been blanketing," he said on "The Hugh Hewitt Show." "I should have gone on all the corporate shows. I should have gone on everything. I started doing that as we got into the end of the summer, and we did it. But we had an opportunity, I think, to come out of the gate and do that and reach a much broader folk."

The governor was responding to a question from the program's eponymous host about his campaign regrets and plans to adjust his strategy going into major electoral contests. DeSantis on Monday placed a distant second in the Iowa Caucus, trailing former President Donald Trump. He has refused to drop out of the race thus far.

"I think that you know, presidential campaigns are a lot about media. Like you know, I spent a lot of time on the ground in Iowa, and it’s good. And when you meet people, you convert them. But there’s just so many voters out there that you’ve got to do," he added.  "Now, I’m everywhere. I mean, I’ll show up wherever."

"I committed to do the debate tonight on WMUR and ABC in New Hampshire. I’m the only one that’s willing to debate," he continued. "I’ve done these televised town halls. I go out and take questions from voters. You know, I think that’s good. I’m the only one that’s not at this point running a basement campaign. Biden’s running a basement campaign. Trump won’t debate, won’t take questions from voters. And now, Haley won’t debate and won’t take questions from voters."

Major networks such as CNN and ABC News and WMUR cancelled planned primary debates after neither Trump nor former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley agreed to attend. DeSantis, for his part, vowed to debate "two empty podiums," though that prospect did not entice the networks to move forward.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.