Ron DeSantis tells Iowa to stop the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ of a Trump win: Tells voters to ignore polls, claims media is ‘going easy’ on ex-president and slams Nikki Haley’s border policies in vital pitch before the caucus

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is calling on Iowans to end the ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ of Donald Trump’s 2024 victory – claiming it is within the ‘power’ of caucusgoers to defy polls.

The 2024 hopefuls said the media helped boost Trump by taking on the former president with “relative ease” compared to coverage in 2016 and 2020.

“I honestly think Iowans have it in their power to change all that,” DeSantis told an audience member at a town hall in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday when asked why he believes candidates other than Trump are struggling to to gain control over the elections.

“I think there is some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy,” the Florida governor added. “I mean, the media likes to report on polls all the time.”

Former President Trump continues to dominate in the national polls — although his lead is shrinking significantly in New Hampshire, where former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley shot into second place within single digits.

From left: Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats, Casey DeSantis with son Mason, five, and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) sit in the front row of Governor DeSantis’ town hall in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday evening

He said Trump remains at the top partly because of media coverage.

“I think there’s a reason why the media has gone easy on him,” he said Tuesday at his town hall with Fox News hosts Martha McCallum and Bret Baier. ‘They hated him. He was the worst thing ever.”

DeSantis claims Democrats want 2024 to be about Trump’s legal troubles, rather than his presidential record. “I think they want 2024 to be all about these things,” he said.

“Ultimately, it is the people who decide this, not the polls,” DeSantis emphasized.

The town hall was the second in a series of three in Iowa with Fox News — the first was with Nikki Haley on Monday night and the third will be with Donald Trump on Wednesday as the other two candidates debate in town.

DeSantis flew back to Iowa after spending the beginning of the week in Tallahassee, Florida, where he delivered his State of the State address Tuesday morning before returning to Des Moines to reach City Hall.

DeSantis flew back to Iowa from Florida on Tuesday evening for the town hall after delivering his State of the State address in Tallahassee earlier in the day

Meanwhile, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis remained in Iowa with Texas Rep. Chip Roy to continue campaigning for governor.

At the town hall, DeSantis noticed his wife and son, Mason, 5, knocking on his door in the snow while he was in Florida.

Casey and Mason were in the audience at City Hall on Tuesday.