DeSantis visits Iowa as interest mounts in likely Trump rival

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ahead of a highly anticipated presidential campaign, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped out before an enthusiastic Iowa crowd. republicans on Friday with a message that leaned toward the left-wing antagonism that has made him a popular figure among conservatives.

“We will never give in to the waking mob,” DeSantis told an audience of more than 1,000 at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in the eastern Iowa town of Davenport, his first stop in Iowa as he moves toward the search for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. “Our state is where the awakening goes to die.”

With less than a year to go before the Iowa caucuses, Republicans in the state are taking a closer look at DeSantis, who is emerging as the main rival of donald trump. The former president, who is preparing his third run for the White House, will be in Davenport on Monday as early signs are that some Republicans may be looking for someone else to lead the party going forward.

Trump mocked DeSantis’ trip on social media, asking “why would 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 on an issue or on a policy, they don’t come up with something that’s going to have a bona fide conversation. They go to this ‘woke up’ conversation. … That turns into hate; what that becomes is despicable politics.”

But they did, including more than 1,000 on Friday night in the capital city, Des Moines, where DeSantis ignited his biggest cheer by accusing schools of trying to push a leftist agenda on students on issues of gender and race.

“I think we’ve really done a great job of drawing the line in the sand and saying that the purpose of our schools is to educate children, not indoctrinate them,” DeSantis said in the Iowa State Fairgrounds auditorium. they should be able to send their children to school without having to swallow someone’s agenda.”

DeSantis appeared with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds in Davenport and Des Moines and met with a small contingent of Republican lawmakers in the capital city. He was also promoting his recently published book, “The Courage to be Free”.

The visit is an early test of DeSantis’ support in the state that will kick off the race for the Republican nomination next year. Trump remains very popular among Iowa Republicans, though positive views of the former president have waned somewhat since he left the White House. Now, 80% say they have a favorable rating of him, down slightly from 91% in September 2021, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Survey released on friday. Eighteen percent have unfavorable views of Trump.

The poll movement suggests Iowa Republicans are not particularly committed to Trump for 2024 and are open to considering other candidates. Although slightly behind the well-known Trump, DeSantis receives an optimistic review from Iowa Republicans: 74% favorable rating. Notably, DeSantis has high name recognition in a state more than 1,000 miles from his own; only 20% say they are not sure how to rate it.

Sandy Bodine said she was impressed with DeSantis as the ballroom emptied out after the Friday morning event.

“He is very eloquent, it seems that he uses common sense in governing,” said the retired 3M Co. human resources worker.

Bodine would consider attending the 2024 caucuses and supporting DeSantis, though she is not registered with any of the major political parties and has never participated in a caucus before. Still, Trump is out of the running for Bodine, who is from nearby Clinton.

“I don’t like Trump,” he said. She “unfortunately” voted for Biden in 2020, she said. “He is not a statesman and we need a statesman. I can 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 “doesn’t particularly like” the Florida governor. “He doesn’t have the experience,” said Greenfield, who is 70 years old. “He doesn’t know the swamp.”

Greenfield is fervently in favor of Trump and plans to hold a caucus for him next year.

Nearby was Diana Otterman, of Bettendorf, who was still considering 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 it out and how people vote.”

As DeSantis made his presence known in Iowa, several prominent former Trump supporters called on him to take the next step and announce that he is running.

“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 had 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 the former United Nations ambassador. nikki haley, who announced his candidacy for 2024 last month. Trump’s stop on Monday will be his first visit to the state since launching his latest presidential bid.

In recent weeks, DeSantis’s team has begun discussions with a handful of potential campaign staffers in battleground states. Late last month, he met privately with donors, elected officials and national conservative activists to discuss his views, which include limiting how career and sexuality They are taught in schools.

DeSantis is expected to announce his candidacy in late spring or early summer, following the conclusion of Florida’s legislative session in mid-May.

The anticipation is reminiscent, to some extent, of support in Iowa for George W. Bush before the 2000 election, albeit with significant differences, said veteran Iowa Republican activist David Oman.

DeSantis is seen, as Bush was, as a next-generation Republican governor of a big state who won re-election by a landslide, said Oman, who was among the Iowa Republicans who helped recruit Bush to run.

Bush pounced on Iowa amid fanfare in June 1999 and cruised to victory in the Iowa caucuses the following year en route to the 2000 Republican nomination and the White House. Not insignificantly, Bush enjoyed the hands-on reach of his father’s Iowa campaign, former President George HW Bush, who had built long-standing 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 big favorite in Iowa. I don’t think there’s a big favorite this time.”