Casey DeSantis got emotional as she discussed how her husband supported her during her battle with breast cancer — and said it’s now her turn to give back as Governor Ron DeSantis runs for the GOP nomination.
Speak with NBC news on the Never Back Down PAC’s campaign tour bus, DeSantis discussed a wide variety of topics, including affirming that he believes Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and saying abortion laws should be left to the states.
Some argue that Governor DeSantis lacks charisma on the campaign trail, but those same individuals feel his former news anchor wife helps make up for that downfall.
“It’s not like somebody said, ‘Oh, we have to put Casey in to go out and do it.’ No. This is all because I want to do it,” Florida’s first lady told NBC in an interview that aired Monday morning on the Today Show.
Casey DeSantis burst into tears as she discussed how her husband Ron DeSantis supported her in her fight against breast cancer
DeSantis is often seen with his three children on the campaign trail, as his young family is seen as one of the most charming aspects of his presidential bid. Pictured: Ron, Casey, and their children Madison, six, Mason, five, and Mamie, three, dazzle a crowd in Gardnerville, Nevada on June 17
“He was there for me, and he was there to pick up my kids when I couldn’t. And he did it with humility and he did it with love,” she added, turning to the governor and 2024 hopeful with tears in her eyes and adding, “I’ll tell you what – you can’t ask for a ask for a better husband than That.’
Casey DeSantis, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and is now in remission, said it was her decision to play such a big part in his presidential campaign.
Ron and Casey took Iowa – and other early primary states – by storm. The two have spent a significant amount of time on the road since Governor DeSantis announced his candidacy in late May.
The two were even spotted at Iowa State Rep.’s wedding recently. Taylor Collins. Collins and his new wife Savannah were followed by the DeSantis as they entered the event hall.
The governor’s appearance at the wedding came just days after former President Donald Trump also crashed a wedding at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey.
Florida’s first couple is also often seen with a combination of their three children on the campaign trail. The charm of DeSantis’ presidential bid is often attributed to his young all-American family, which includes Madison, six, Mason, five, and Mamie, three.
When asked how it felt to hear his wife speak such kind words about him, DeSantis said, “Well, look, that’s — you know, in sickness and in health, that’s what you sign up for.”
‘She’s not just my wife, she’s my best friend. So this is exactly what you do,” he added when speaking to NBC correspondent Dasha Burns on the bus.
Putting his family at the center also allowed DeSantis to speak with authority from a parent’s and spouse’s perspective on issues such as education and abortion.
DeSantis spoke to NBC News on a range of topics, including abortion restrictions and confirmation that Donald Trump has lost the 2020 presidential election
DeSantis speaks to diners at the Vinton Family Restaurant in Vinton, Iowa on Saturday, August 5
When he sat down for a more formal part of the interview, DeSantis said he wouldn’t allow the left to legalize “infanticide” by freeing the country from abortion restrictions altogether.
“We will be a pro-life president and we will support pro-life policies,” DeSantis said. “I wouldn’t allow what many of the left want to do, which is to lift pro-life protections across the country altogether, in some cases even to the point of birth, which I believe is infanticide.”
Burns pushed back by citing that only 1.3 percent of abortions occur at 23 weeks or later, but DeSantis said even supporting this position is going too far.
“But their view is that there should be no legal protection at all until then,” he insisted.
Meanwhile, some backers and supporters argue they can’t continue to support DeSantis unless he proves he can win over the moderates — especially after he signed Florida’s six-week ban on abortions.
DeSantis consistently ranks second to former President Donald Trump in national and statewide polls — even though he often falls at least several tens of percent behind the 2024 Republican front-runner.
Casey got emotional when she said she made the decision to go on the road with her husband because it’s her turn to support him after he stepped up during her battle with cancer
However, his poll gap with Trump has widened in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, DeSantis has stepped up his criticism of the former president. While he claims the multiple DOJ investigations and charges against Trump are politically motivated, he also believes the 2020 election was legitimate.
“Whoever puts their hand on the Bible every four years on January 20 is the winner,” DeSantis told Burns ahead of the interview, which will be released Monday in snippets on multiple NBC and MSNBC shows throughout the day.
However, DeSantis also believes there were flaws in the last presidential election — even though he claims Trump did lose to President Joe Biden.
“Of course he lost,” DeSantis said, adding, “Joe Biden is the president.”