As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slips in polls of potential GOP presidential candidates, he's expressing confidence that he has what it takes to beat President Joe Biden in 2024.
Though the governor hasn't officially announced his campaign, he and former President Donald Trump are considered the runaway favorites for the nomination.
In an interview with Fox Nation's "Piers Morgan Uncensored," airing Thursday, DeSantis said outright that he could beat Biden.
"I think he's failed the country. I think the country wants a change. I think they want a fresh start and a new direction, and so we'll be very vocal about that," DeSantis said, per the New York Post.
When asked if he thought he could beat Biden, DeSantis responded, "I think so."
"I think what it takes is to have a vision for the country, have the ability to exercise leadership and being willing to stand in that fire when it gets really hot and not back down under pressure... and I think I have all those things," he added.
DeSantis went on to say that one key to winning is securing the vote among independents.
"You can't win with just Republicans. You've got to win with independents and you need to convince some of these Democrats, which I was able to do in Florida, because they're not woke, they don't like some of the nonsense going on," he said. "So I think you could appeal to people across the canvas."
DeSantis has yet to announce a run for the White House but is rumored to be launching a campaign once Florida's legislative session has concluded.
A poll released by Quinnipiac University last week showed Trump leading DeSantis 51% to 40% head-to-head for the GOP nomination. Among Republican and Republican leaning voters, 46% support Trump while 32% support DeSantis.
When the poll matched Biden against DeSantis, it was a virtual dead heat -- with Biden receiving 47% and DeSantis receiving 46% among all registered voters. In a hypothetical matchup between Biden and Trump, the gap was slightly larger, with the president leading 49% to 45%.
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