Ron DeSantis calls Nikki Haley a 'phony' who 'just doesn't get Iowa' as caucuses near

DES MOINES, Iowa — Ron DeSantis slammed Nikki Haley in an exclusive interview with the Des Moines Register and NBC News, calling the former United Nations ambassador a "phony" who "just doesn't get Iowa."

The Florida governor criticized Haley for recent gaffes, like calling Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark by the wrong name and joking in New Hampshire that its primary would "correct" Iowa's caucus results.

"I'm just thinking to myself, she's phony, you know, she doesn't have a core set of convictions," DeSantis said Thursday. "She's coming in here, she's trying to be relatable but just doesn't get Iowa. I think that's becoming more and more apparent."

DeSantis' latest attacks on Haley come just 11 days before the Iowa Caucuses in an exclusive interview with Des Moines Register Chief Politics Reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel and NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns in the Register's newsroom. It's part of the news organizations' "Closing Arguments: Iowa" series with DeSantis, Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Haley and DeSantis have brawled on Iowa stages and television screens in recent weeks over who will become the prime challenger to former President Donald Trump. While Trump led the most recent Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll by more than 30 percentage points, DeSantis eked a slight lead over Haley, with 19% to her 16%.

In the final days before Caucus Day on Jan. 15, DeSantis has unleashed a fresh barrage of attacks on Haley. In Thursday's interview, he said she was too liberal for conservatives and unable to stand up to the media, and he argued that Haley has spurned Iowa with less frequent visits and her comments in New Hampshire.

"I'm the only one that has a chance to beat Trump and win the general election," he said. "Nikki Haley can't get conservative voters. She's playing for voters who are not even core Republicans."

DeSantis immediately dismissed the idea of teaming up with Haley to take down Trump.

"A lot of my supporters here in Iowa, for example, you know, they want to move on from Trump. But if they had to choose between Trump or Haley, they probably would go with Trump, because his policies are more in line with what they want," DeSantis said. "Haley really represents more of an establishment, entrenched D.C.-New York type of view, and that's not what they want."

Haley will sit down with the Des Moines Register and NBC News on Friday.

Haley campaign spokesperson Pat Garrett said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon: "It’s sad to see what’s happened to Ron DeSantis. The more his campaign flounders, the more desperate he becomes. Nikki will campaign in Iowa during this final stretch just like she has for the past 11 months— answering every question, shaking every hand. That’s the Iowa way.”

DeSantis says attacking Trump for indictments would be 'aligning with people who are politicizing the law'

At a Wednesday event in Waukee, an Iowan asked DeSantis why he hasn't "gone directly" after Trump. DeSantis challenged the premise: "I've articulated all of the differences. … What the media wants is, they want Republican candidates to smear him personally. That's just not how I roll."

DeSantis has gradually increased his criticisms of Trump on the campaign trail, pointing out campaign promises that he says the former president failed to keep. But DeSantis and other Republican candidates have tread lightly around the 91 criminal charges filed against Trump.

In Thursday's interview, DeSantis said he chooses not to hit Trump on the indictments because the prosecutors who brought those charges are "just not good actors, in my judgment."

"I don't want to be in a situation where I'm aligning with people who are politicizing the law," he said.

"Now, practically speaking, Republican voters just have to look at this and say, 'OK, do we want the election to be about the issues that the American people are facing? Do we want to be able to hold Biden and the Democrats' feet to the fire for their failures and offer a way to a better future for Americans?'" DeSantis asked, echoing his message from the campaign trail. "Or do we want the election to be about Donald Trump's conduct, about Jan. 6, about criminal cases and all this?"

DeSantis argued he's a better Republican candidate than Trump because the former president evokes so much anger among Democrats.

"He inspires opposition on the political left unlike any other person," DeSantis said. "In fact, he does a better job inspiring Democrats to come out to vote than Democrat candidates are able to do."

DeSantis reacts to Perry school shooting, but proposes no new gun laws

 Hours after multiple people were shot at a high school in Perry, Iowa, DeSantis said gun violence should be addressed at the state and local level — without any new federal restrictions on firearms.

"We obviously have a responsibility to create safe environments," DeSantis said. "The federal government is probably not going to be leading that effort. I think it is more of a local and state issue, but we've shown how it's done in Florida."

More:'Get out!' 'Run!' people yelled as shots fired at Perry High School in morning shooting

DeSantis pointed to an "underlying sickness in society" that leads to individuals committing violent acts.

"For whatever reason, there are people in our society that really get a kick out of doing this. … That's an underlying sickness in society, and I think that involves things like mental health," he said.

DeSantis advocated for earlier detection of dangerous individuals who may be planning acts of violence. However, the Florida governor did not propose a federal red flag law, and he cautioned about the importance of due process before any person has their guns confiscated.

More:After Iowa school shooting, Ron DeSantis says gun violence is a 'local and state issue'

Asked about carbon pipelines, DeSantis says eminent domain should not be used for 'private gains'

In a Tuesday town hall in Council Bluffs, DeSantis said he supports the limited use of eminent domain for projects that serve a public use, like the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

“It is a legitimate power that our founders recognized, but it’s limited to public purposes,” DeSantis said on the Gray TV town hall.

Two carbon capture pipeline projects are pending in Iowa. Summit Carbon Solutions will submit final arguments to the Iowa Utilities Board this month, asking for permission to use eminent domain to obtain land easements in the state.

When asked about the carbon capture pipelines, DeSantis said eminent domain should not be used for "private gains for companies." He said ethanol producers should "negotiate with the land owners." DeSantis repeated that eminent domain should be allowed only for "public use."

"Traditionally, conservatives, including me, have viewed public use more narrowly," he said.

Would he apply that narrow view to Iowa? "We will definitely not do any federal eminent domain," DeSantis responded. "I'm not sure what the law is in Iowa, but federally, we will not do that for that."

Brianne Pfannenstiel contributed reporting.

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

Coming 'Closing Arguments' interviews

• Wednesday, Jan. 3: Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy
• Thursday, Jan. 4: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
• Friday, Jan. 5: Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley