Ron DeSantis Confident That Lead Over Trump Will Grow In Second Half Of 2023: 'Rome Wasn't Built In A Day'

Ron DeSantis on Wednesday hit back at the former president after Donald Trump mocked the Florida governor's campaign visit to New Hampshire, where according to the ex-president, ‘Nobody showed up.'

What Happened: In an interview with Fox News, DeSantis called Trump's criticism "bizarre," reported The Hill.

"That's bizarre. It's a big state; there's a lot of voters," DeSantis said. 

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On Tuesday, both Trump and DeSantis conducted campaign events in New Hampshire, along with their fellow Republican contenders Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. While Trump addressed the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women’s (NHFRW) Lilac Luncheon in Concord, DeSantis held a town hall event in Hollis, New Hampshire, located an hour away.

In an address to his supporters, Trump directly attacked DeSantis for campaigning in the state at the same time. "By the way, he's holding an event right now, which is considered not nice," Trump said about his Republican counterpart.

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"He's holding an event right now to compete with us. Well, guess what? Nobody showed up."

According to The New York Times, DeSantis took questions from a crowd of about 250 people in Hollis.

Recent polls have shown DeSantis is still trailing behind Trump both nationally and in New Hampshire. The St. Anselm College Survey Center poll revealed that 47% of respondents supported Trump, reflecting a 5-point increase since the previous survey in March. In contrast, DeSantis witnessed a decline of 10 points in his support, bringing it to a total of 19%.

"Rome wasn't built in a day," DeSantis told the host about his low poll numbers. 

"A lot of these voters will pay more attention when we get into the fall and the winter. That's just the reality," DeSantis said. 

"I think we have a better presence on the ground than any other candidate has."

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