Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) touched on the lack of "accountability" within the Republican Party concerning losses in the past three election cycles, decrying the "culture of losing" he claims is developing in the party.
The Florida governor doubled down on his calls to dispel the "culture of losing" from the GOP while taking a question about elections at a press conference on Monday.
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DeSantis went over how Republicans lost control of the House in 2018 and followed that by losing the Senate and the presidency in 2020. He then hit on the disappointing 2022 midterm elections, in which the GOP underperformed in most states.
"We were supposed to have this big red wave, and other than, like, Florida and Iowa, I didn’t see [a] red wave across this country. And so I think the party has developed a culture of losing. I think that there’s not accountability, and I think in Florida we really showed what it takes to not just win, win big, and then deliver big," DeSantis said.
DeSantis won his gubernatorial race by nearly 20 percentage points last year after winning by only 33,000 votes four years earlier. Florida also saw GOP victories in state and federal congressional races.
Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) also won her reelection bid in a landslide after winning a tighter race four years earlier, and the lone Democrat representing the Hawkeye State lost her congressional seat, making the state's congressional delegation entirely Republican.
In that same election, the GOP only flipped one governorship, Nevada's. The GOP lost three previously held governorships in the election. The GOP also won the House majority by a smaller margin than anticipated and lost a Senate seat after hoping to win a majority in the chamber.
DeSantis also emphasized the production of results with governance as being the most important matter for elected officials rather than "cable news" or "social media."
"That’s really what matters. You can sit there and talk about cable news and social media, all these other things that people are fixated on. For me, it’s like, 'What’s that true north?' Obviously you've got to win; otherwise, you don’t get a ticket to the dance, but once you do that, how are you going to be able to actually bring about big change to make people’s lives better?" DeSantis said.
DeSantis is expected to announce a presidential bid in the coming weeks. The Florida governor is already traveling to several key states, including Iowa. Polling data suggest DeSantis is in second place in the GOP field behind former President Donald Trump.
The "losing culture" comments by DeSantis have been perceived as a jab at Trump, who was widely seen as the leader of the Republican Party when it suffered losses in the 2018, 2020, and 2022 elections.
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The remarks came at a press conference where DeSantis signed laws that prevent state universities from using funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
“Florida has ranked No. 1 in higher education for seven years in a row, and by signing this legislation, we are ensuring that Florida’s institutions encourage diversity of thought, civil discourse, and the pursuit of truth for generations to come. Florida is taking a stand for empowering students, parents, and educators to focus on creating opportunities for our younger generations. I am happy to have worked with the legislature to get this important legislation signed, sealed, and delivered,” DeSantis said in a statement.