DeSantis: Opponents wouldn’t spend this much against me ‘unless they saw me as a threat’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis argued Tuesday that his GOP presidential primary opponents’ campaign spending numbers suggest his rivals view him as a “threat.”

“I had almost $50 million spent against me so far this presidential election campaign,” DeSantis said Tuesday during a town hall with CNN. “That’s more than has been spent against Joe Biden and Donald Trump combined. They wouldn’t do that unless they saw me as a threat.”

“And one is the current president and one was a former president, but I think that should tell you something,” he continued. “They don’t do that unless they think you’re a threat.”

DeSantis asserted former President Trump and President Biden perceive him as someone who will go to Washington “to be a change agent.”

This was the second time in as many days DeSantis referenced the nearly $50 million he claims his opponents shelled out for attacks. Speaking with a crowd in Des Moines, Iowa, following the state’s caucuses Monday night, DeSantis indicated he was in the race for the long haul despite coming in a distant second place behind Trump.

“They threw everything but the kitchen sink at us,” DeSantis told his supporters Monday night, adding later, “we got our ticket punched out of Iowa.”

Andrew Romeo, communications director for DeSantis’s campaign, also took aim at Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley for spending what he said was a total of $24 million “in false negative ads” against the Florida governor.

An estimated $300 million worth of ads for Republican presidential nominees have been shown to voters in this presidential nomination cycle, according to analysis by NPR. A majority of that money is from super PACs and outside groups.

PACs and other outside groups shelled out the most for Haley, about $62.8 million, followed by DeSantis, who received about $54.8 million, NPR reported.

All eyes are now on New Hampshire, which will hold its primary Jan. 23. Haley has surpassed DeSantis in the Granite State while pulling to within about 8 points of Trump, according to the polling index from The Hill and Decision Desk HQ.

Tuesday polling showed Trump with about 41.4 percent support in New Hampshire, while Haley has the backing of about 33.4 percent. DeSantis’s support has fallen to below 6 percent in the Granite State.