Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a campaign event in California in September. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) shot down questions once again about whether he would serve as vice president, if asked, on a Donald Trump ticket.
What he's saying: "No, I'm running for president," DeSantis said on FOX News Channels' "Sunday Morning Futures" with host Maria Bartiromo.
- "We need somebody that can serve two terms. We need somebody that can win states like Georgia and Arizona, which President Trump cannot do or did not do even though candidates like [John] McCain and [Mitt] Romney had no problem winning those states," DeSantis said.
- In March, DeSantis had laughed off a question about being Trump's VP pick.
- Again in July, the GOP governor said he would not be interested in such a role.
Driving the news: Trump called his fellow GOP presidential contenders "job candidates" for his next administration while speaking to autoworkers in Michigan this past week instead of attending the second GOP primary debate.
- "They're all running for a job," he said.
- "They'll do anything, secretary of something — they even say VP — I don't know. Does anybody see any VP in the group? I don't think so," Trump added.
By the numbers: A Fox Business poll among GOP Iowa Caucus-goers from mid-September had Trump leading DeSantis by 31 percentage points.
- Those numbers reflected almost identically in July, where Trump led DeSantis by 30 percentage points in the same poll.
Zoom out: Trump's absence at the second GOP primary debate fueled backlash from his running mates, including DeSantis, who said Trump was "missing in action" and that he should be on the debate stage.
Go deeper: Ron DeSantis and Gavin Newsom are set to debate on Fox News