Associated Press
Decrying a Republican “culture of losing,” Gov. Ron DeSantis sought Saturday to weaken former President Donald Trump’s grip on the GOP as tornado warnings interrupted a collision of leading presidential prospects in battleground Iowa.
DeSantis, expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign any day, briefly flipped burgers and pork chops at an afternoon picnic fundraiser in Sioux Center that drew hundred of conservatives to the northwest corner of the state. From the podium, the 44-year-old governor highlighted his eagerness to embrace conservative cultural fights and sprinkled his remarks with indirect jabs at Trump.
“Governing is not about entertaining. Governing is not about building a brand or talking on social media and virtue signaling,” said DeSantis, who wore a blue button-down shirt without a tie or jacket. “It’s ultimately about winning and producing results.”
Trump, a candidate since November, had hoped to demonstrate his political strength with a large outdoor rally in Des Moines, the capital, later in the day. He canceled the appearance hours before the scheduled start time due to a tornado warning.
Roughly 200 supporters had already gathered at the venue.
“I feel like it’s still Trump’s time,” said Robert Bushard, 76, who said he drove about four hours from St. Paul, Minnesota to see the former President. Of DeSantis, he said, “He’d be a good President after Trump.”
Republican primary voters across the nation are sizing up DeSantis and Trump, two Republican powerhouses who are among a half dozen GOP candidates already in the race or expected to announce imminently. Trump is well ahead of his rivals in early national polls, while DeSantis is viewed widely as the strongest potential challenger.
Trump was hoping to return to the comfort of the campaign stage after a tumultuous week.
On Tuesday, a civil jury in New York found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming advice columnist E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million. A day later, during a contentious CNN town hall, he repeatedly insulted Carroll, reasserted lies about his 2020 election loss and minimized the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
DeSantis has burnished his reputation as a conservative Governor willing to push hard for conservative policies and even take on a political fight with Disney, which he highlighted in Sioux Center. But so far, he hasn’t shown the same zest for taking on Trump, who has been almost singularly focused on tearing down DeSantis for months.
On Saturday, DeSantis avoided Trump’s legal entanglements or his falsehoods about the 2020 election, instead highlighting the GOP’s recent string of electoral losses. The Republican Party has struggled in every national election since Trump’s 2016 victory.
“We must reject the culture of losing that has impacted our party in recent years. The time for excuses is over,” DeSantis said. “If we get distracted, if we focus the election on the past or on other side issues, then I think the Democrats are going to beat us again.”
It’s uncertain whether DeSantis’ political successes in Florida can be replicated on the national stage.
Even before he formally enters the race, he’s already facing questions about his ability to court donors and woo voters.
The Iowa visit, his second in two months, was expected to help address concerns about his sometimes awkward personal appeal as he met with Republican officials, donors and volunteers, all under the glare of the national media. But DeSantis devoted little time — at least compared with most of the GOP’s other White House contenders — for selfies or handshakes in Sioux Center, where more than 600 people had gathered to see him at an event billed as a family picnic for U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.
DeSantis left most of the politicking to his allied super political action committee, which had set up a table where prospective supporters for his yet-to-be-announced presidential campaign could sign up.
The road outside the museum was flanked with DeSantis 2024 campaign signs.
Trump’s team had expected more than 5,000 to attend the rally at an outdoor amphitheater in downtown Des Moines for the purpose of collecting information on would-be supporters and encouraging them to commit to Trump.
Trump’s 2024 Iowa campaign, unlike his rag-tag 2016 second-place Iowa effort, is putting together a more disciplined, data-driven operation. The Saturday event was aimed at encouraging attendees to sign up with the campaign on a website so the campaign could maintain contact with them, keep them posted on how and where to caucus, and recruit campaign volunteers.
In a social media post, Trump promised to reschedule the event. Shortly afterward, the campaign released a list of endorsements from more than 150 Iowa elected officials and activists across all of the state’s 99 counties.
And as they compete for support, the emerging rivalry with DeSantis has turned increasingly personal.
DeSantis has largely ignored Trump’s most egregious jabs, which have included suggesting impropriety with young girls as a teacher decades ago, questioning his sexuality and calling him “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
Trump’s campaign began airing an ad mocking DeSantis for yoking himself to the former President in 2018 when he ran for Governor, even using some Trump catchphrases as a nod to his supporters in Florida.
Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., also has aired spots highlighting DeSantis’ votes to cut Social Security and Medicare and raise the retirement age. The group even targeted DeSantis’ snacking habits, running an ad that called for him to keep his “pudding fingers” off those benefits. That was a reference to a report in The Daily Beast that the Governor ate chocolate pudding with his fingers instead of a spoon on a plane several years ago.
DeSantis has said he does not remember doing that.
At the same time, the pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, has hired Iowa staff and begun trying to organize support for the governor before a 2024 announcement. The group announced Thursday that state Senate President Amy Sinclair and state House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl would endorse DeSantis’ candidacy. On Friday, it rolled out roughly three dozen more state lawmakers who would endorse him.
Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst attended DeSantis’ Sioux Center appearance.
After his speech, he spent about 15 minutes shaking hands and making small talk with voters as he maneuvered through the large audience, trailed by reporters, TV cameras and a security detail. He then dashed outdoors to pose with Reynolds and Feenstra while tending to burgers and pork chops at the grill.
Lyle and Sonia Remmerde of Rock Valley managed a handshake. She said DeSantis’ style comes across as “normal.”
“One of the things when you compare Trump and DeSantis, I think DeSantis has — how do you say? — a much more smooth approach,” said Lyle Remmerde, 65. “He’s less abrasive.”
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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
17 comments
Merijean Carey
May 14, 2023 at 9:44 am
The GOPs “culture of losing” is Karl Rove, Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush, the team DeSantis has joined
Dont Say FLA
May 15, 2023 at 8:47 am
None of those three are running for any office and haven’t run for any office for a decade, so what on Earth on talking about? Trump is biggest loser in the GOP (2nd biggest loser on the world stage; Putin takes the prize for 1st Loser) , and Rhonda’s Panties is second biggest loser in the GOP, what with being scared to death of trans kids and drag queens, LOL. Third biggest loser is whatever group of people are somehow still GOP voters, supporting Defelonious Javina Trump or Rhondas “Scared of Drag Queens” Panties, claiming there’s any difference between either of those two and they can’t possibly vote for the other one LOL. The two losers are entirely interchangeable and neither stands a chance with USA Americans outside of sugary stupid Fleur D’uh.
Earl Pitts American
May 14, 2023 at 10:23 am
Good morning America,
Losing (again) is exactly what will happen should America be unfortunate to have the RNC nominate Trump as their candidate.
The fix is already in because too many Republicans have taken money from China.
So if The RNC nominates Trump again that is your sign which Rush discussed on his radio show prior to his passing on into Heaven above.
You will have just two choices should The RNC nominate Trump according to Rush.
1). Bend over, pucker up, and kiss your sweet @55 goodbye.
OR
2). Move to New Zeeland.
Thats it America, there is no third option.
Y’all RINO’s did not even listen to Rush to even know Rush’s sweet words of wisdom as I, Earl Pitts American did. Therefore my best advice to you losers is to STFU.
Thank you America,
Earl Pitts “Rush Baby” American
Ocean Joe
May 14, 2023 at 10:56 am
What did New Zealand ever do to you?
Earl Pitts American
May 14, 2023 at 11:20 am
Thank you OJ for backing up my sweet sweet words of wisdom.
I, Earl Pitts American, have submitted your name to The Esteamed President of The Earl Pitts American Fan Club to make you an honorary Life Time Member.
Thank you again OJ,
Earl Pitts American
Elliott Offen
May 14, 2023 at 12:41 pm
👆 Report this delusional narcissist and intellectually crippled individual to Florida Politics for vandalizing the website with gibberish.
Earlline Pitts American
May 14, 2023 at 10:53 am
Thank you Mr. Pitts,
All the members of your Fan Club just voted you into the Honarable Office of “The New Mayor if Realville”.
There have been many false scammers rise up and attempt to take Rush’s former Mayoral title. But none so genuine as you Mr. Pitts.
I mean lets get real for a minute:
You cant even listen to 15 minutes of Clay and Buck without them latching onto some obscure “Sports Analogy” and then sneeking in some totally unrelated plug for “OutKick”.
We have petitioned Katherine to give the Nation some relief and replace Clay and Buck with The Real New Mayor Of RealVille Mr. Earl Pitts American.
Thank you Mr. Pitts,
Ms. Earline Pitts, President of The Earl Pitts Anerican Fan Club
Jay Smif
May 14, 2023 at 12:10 pm
I look forward to you being drowned in a bucket of filthy water, Earl, and fascist DeSantis is hated by a vast majority of the nation. You’re brainwashed and are in a death cult.
Your mother always regretted not having the $50 she needed for your back/alley abortion
Earl Pitts American
May 14, 2023 at 1:23 pm
FYI Smiff,
I Earl Pitts American am not nominating you for a free lifetime membership into The Earl Pitts American Fan Club. So just you be jellous of my main man OJ who did receive a nomination to the most prestigious fan club in the whole wide world a few hours earlier this morning.
Thank you Smiff,
Earl Pitts American
Impeach Biden
May 14, 2023 at 5:35 pm
Mr Smiff,
Please remind the audience of the results for the latest Governor election. Now I know you are going to point to those bogus polls out there designed by the state run media showing Trump well ahead. The thinkers out there know what’s going on. DeSantis would crush that feeble old man Joe Biden. Biden could beat Trump that’s why the fix is in on polling.
Jay Smif
May 14, 2023 at 8:39 pm
Who the f**k cares about the brainwashed cult in Florida that got suckered by yet another GQP conman, princess?
Elliott Offen
May 14, 2023 at 12:42 pm
👆 Report Earl Pitts for spam repetitive posting nonsense and vandalizing the website with stupidity.
Impeach Biden
May 14, 2023 at 5:37 pm
Offen you need to do something for mom today. You gave been sponging off of her for years now. Get it together man
Elliott Offen
May 14, 2023 at 6:46 pm
👆Sleeps with mom. He admitted it.
AnneMike
May 14, 2023 at 1:38 pm
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Qanon Ron
May 15, 2023 at 8:20 am
Kristian Seckret Society
“It’s definitely a step backwards for transparency in campaign finance,” said Ben Wilcox, the co-founder of Integrity Florida, a government watchdog group. “It’s just gonna slow down the reporting of what these political committees are raising.
“They are raising boatloads of money. The political committees are the preferred fundraising tool out there,” he added.
You creepy Qristians
Dont Say FLA
May 15, 2023 at 8:40 am
Weather sidelined Trump’s event? Why didn’t he just claim the weather was a witch hunt and proceed anyhow?
Comments are closed.