Ron DeSantis plans to do a rare sit down interview with a mainstream news outlet, as he will join CNN’s Jake Tapper on the anchor’s Tuesday show.
DeSantis has largely done interviews with local and conservative media outlets since announcing his presidential bid, bypassing the exposure of major media. But he continues to trail former President Donald Trump in the polls and, per NBC News, he fired about a dozen campaign staffers in a shakeup over the weekend.
The interview will air at 4 p.m. on Tuesday on Tapper’s The Lead, and will take place following a campaign event in Columbia, SC.
DeSantis has done numerous interviews with Fox News and Newsmax, but he’s often bashed mainstream media, even accusing “corporate” outlets of going after him because they do not want him to win the nomination. In recent days, however, there have been reports that his campaign has eyed a strategy shift. The Wall Street Journal reported that his campaign was looking to venture into giving interviews with mainstream news organizations.
DeSantis raised $20 million in the initial quarter of his presidential campaign, but he’s also being boosted by a SuperPAC that has raised $130 million, albeit $80 million was transferred from a fund that backed his governor’s race in 2022, per NBC News.
Trump headlined a CNN town hall in May, one that drew extensive criticism for the rally-like responses of the audience that included many of his supporters.
