DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ahead of a long-awaited presidential campaign, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered a message to the Republican-leaning Iowa public Friday that leans toward antagonism toward the left that has made him a popular figure. among conservatives.
“We will never give in to the overwhelming crowd,” DeSantis told an audience of more than 1,000 at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport, his first stop in Iowa as he moves toward the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 “Our state is where the smart go to die.”
With the Iowa caucuses less than a year away, state Republicans are taking a closer look at DeSantis, who is emerging as Donald Trump’s primary challenger. The former president, who is making his third run for the White House, will be in Davenport on Monday as early signs warn that some Republicans may be looking for someone else to lead the party going forward.
Trump teased DeSantis’ trip on social media, asking “why should people show up?”
And White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took issue with the Florida governor’s threatening language criticizing transgender youth and their parents.
“When … these MAGA Republicans disagree with an issue or policy, they don’t post something that can have a good conversation. They go to this “woke” conversation. … What turns into hate; which turns into contemptible politics”.
But they did show up, including more than 1,000 people Friday night in the capital city of Des Moines, where DeSantis won the biggest ovation by accusing the schools of trying to force a left-wing agenda on students around issues of gender and race.
“I think we’ve done a really good job of drawing a line in the sand and saying that the purpose of our schools is to educate children, not to indoctrinate them,” DeSantis said in the auditorium at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. “Parents should be able to send their children to school without someone’s agenda being shoved down their throats.”
DeSantis appeared with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in Davenport and Des Moines and met with a small contingent of GOP lawmakers in the capital. He was also promoting his recently released book, The Courage to Be Free.
The visit is an early test of support for DeSantis in the state, which will kick off the race for the Republican nomination next year. Trump remains extremely popular among Iowa Republicans, although positive views of the former president have dipped slightly since he left the White House. Now, 80 percent say they have a favorable rating of him, down slightly from 91 percent in September 2021, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll released Friday. 18% have unfavorable views of Trump.
The polling movement suggests Iowa Republicans are not particularly committed to Trump in 2024 and are open to considering other candidates. Although slightly behind the well-known Trump, DeSantis gets a favorable review from Iowa Republicans – 74% yes. In particular, DeSantis has high recognition in a state more than 1,000 miles away from his own; only 20% say they are not sure how to rate it.
via the Associated Press
Sandy Bodine said she was impressed with DeSantis as the ballroom emptied after Friday morning’s event.
“He’s very articulate, uses common sense, it seems, in governance,” said the retired 3M Co. human resources officer.
Bodine would consider attending the 2024 caucuses and supporting DeSantis, although she is not registered with any major political party and has never supported a caucus before. Regardless, Trump is ruled out of the running for Bodine, who is close to Clinton.
“I don’t like Trump,” he said. He voted “unfortunately” for Biden in 2020, he said. “He is not a statesman and we need a statesman. I see DeSantis as a statesman.
But others in the crowd suggested they would stick with the former president. Retiree Al Greenfield, of Davenport, said he came out of curiosity, but “I’m not particularly interested” in the Florida governor. “He has no experience,” said Greenfield, who is in his late 70s. “He doesn’t know the swamp.”
Greenfield is excited about Trump and plans to host it next year.
Nearby was Diana Otterman, of Bettendorf, still weighing her options.
“Gov. DeSantis is a wonderful man. I’m for DeSantis, but I’m also for Trump. I haven’t decided yet,” said the 70-year-old retiree. “So we’ll see how God works and how people vote.”
As DeSantis made his presence known in Iowa, several prominent former Trump supporters urged him to take the next step and announce his run.
“More than ever, our country needs strong leadership, someone who gets things done and isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right,” former Pennsylvania representative and Republican gubernatorial candidate Lou Barletta tweeted. “Come on Ron, your country needs you!”
Barletta accused Trump of disloyalty after the former president endorsed a rival in his gubernatorial primary.
DeSantis’ visit coincided with a trip to the state by former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, who last month announced her 2024 bid. Trump’s stop Monday will be her first visit to the state since launching her most recent presidential candidacy.
In recent weeks, DeSantis’ team has begun holding conversations with a handful of potential campaign staffers in key states. Late last month, she met privately with donors, elected officials and national conservative activists to discuss her views, which include limiting how race and sexuality are taught in schools.
DeSantis is expected to announce his candidacy in late spring or early summer after Florida’s legislative session ends in mid-May.
The anticipation is somewhat reminiscent of Iowa’s support for George W. Bush before the 2000 election, though with significant differences, veteran Iowa GOP activist David Oman said.
DeSantis is seen, like Bush, as a generational Republican governor of a big state who won re-election in a landslide, said Oman, who was among the Iowa Republicans who helped him recruit Bush to run.
Bush entered Iowa amid fanfare in June 1999 and cruised to victory in the Iowa caucuses the following year on his way to the 2000 GOP nomination and the White House. Bush largely credited the hands-on Iowa campaign of his father, former President George HW Bush, who built lasting relationships during his 1980 and 1988 Iowa caucus campaigns.
“There is another former president in this cycle. He’s just not interested in helping a first-time candidate,” Oman said, referring to Trump. “W was the overwhelming favorite in Iowa. I think there is no overwhelming favorite this time.
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