‘Of Course He Lost!’ DeSantis Flatly Rejects Trump’s Stolen Election Claims in New NBC Interview

It took a bit of persistence from interviewer Dasha Burns of NBC, but eventually, Ron DeSantis made clear he believes former President Donald Trump’s claims of a stolen election in 2020 are nonsense.

In an interview which was excerpted Monday morning on the Today show — ahead of its full airing on NBC Nightly News Monday evening — Burns pressed DeSantis for a straight answer on whether Trump lost in 2020.

“Yes or no: Did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?” Burns asked.

“Whoever puts their hand on the Bible on January 20th every four years is the winner,” DeSantis replied.

Unsatisfied with that response, Burns tried again.

“Respectfully, you did not clearly answer that question,” Burns said. “And if you can’t give a yes or no on whether or not Trump lost—”

DeSantis interjected, and this time, was clear.

“No, of course he lost!” DeSantis said.

“Trump lost the 2020 election?” Burns asked.

“Of course!” DeSantis said. “Joe Biden’s the president.”

The comments came as part of a lament from DeSantis about the focus for the election not being on the future, but rather, stuck in the past.

“If the election is referendum on Joe Biden’s policies, and the failures that we’ve seen and we are presenting a positive vision for the future, we will win the presidency, and we will have a chance to turn the country around,” DeSantis said. “If, on the other hand, the election is not about January 20th, 2025, but January 6, 2021 or what document was left by the toilet at Mar-a-Lago, if it is a referendum on that, we are going to lose, and that’s just the reality.”

“With Trump in the race, that’s what it’s going to be about,” Burns said.

“That’s not a pathway for success for the Republican party,” DeSantis said. “I think a lot of our voters understand that.”

Watch above, via NBC.

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