CNN exclusive: DeSantis downplays concerns about the state of his 2024 campaign

Gov. Ron DeSantis, in an exclusive interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday, brushed aside concerns about the state of his presidential campaign, continued to downplay the conflict in Ukraine and steered clear of supporting national abortion restrictions similar to the six-week ban he signed in Florida.

In the interview, recorded shortly after Donald Trump announced on social media he was the target of an investigation into the January 6, 2021, insurrection, DeSantis remained upbeat about his chance of defeating the former president even as his campaign cuts staff and attempts a restart amid stalled polling and mounting expenses.

"They've been saying that I've been doing poorly for my whole time as governor, basically," DeSantis said.

Yet, DeSantis also may have explained why his campaign - built on a promise to rid so-called "wokeness" from society - has failed to carry the momentum he generated during his first term as governor and through his reelection victory last year.

Commenting on a new plan released Tuesday for revamping the US Department of Defense, DeSantis dismissed research presented by Tapper that showed "wokeness" was not high on the list of concerns among potential military recruits.

"Not everyone really knows what wokeness is," DeSantis said. "I mean, I've defined it, but a lotta people who rail against wokeness can't even define it."

That disconnect is echoed in concerns by Republican donors and operatives, who have privately - and sometimes publicly - said that DeSantis is too focused on the priorities of the most conservative factions in his party, particularly those that speak loudest in digital spaces and the GOP speaking circuit.