Rove Says Iowa Is ‘Do Or Die’ for DeSantis

Political consultant Karl Rove said he thinks winning the Iowa caucuses in January is "do or die" for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he seeks to overtake former President Donald Trump in polling.

“Iowa is do or die," Rove said during an interview with Fox News. "He’s putting a lot of effort there.”

Rove added that second or third place in the caucuses would not be good enough for the Florida governor.

"If he comes in third in Iowa, it’s very problematic for him because it doesn’t get better for him in the next two sets of contests," Rove said.

The Florida governor has concentrated much of his campaign's resources in Iowa, where he was recently endorsed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and evangelical leader Ben Vander Plaats, two influential figures in the state.

An Iowa poll released in early November showed DeSantis trailing former President Donald Trump in the state, with former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley on his heels.