Ron DeSantis, Donald Trump take different approaches to Iowa dinner

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One stayed on script. The other stayed on the attack.

Donald Trump and his top rivals for the GOP presidential nomination took the stage one by one Friday night to address an influential gathering of Iowa Republicans, with none of the top-tier hopefuls mentioning that new federal charges had been filed against the former president just a day earlier.

Instead, Trump’s competitors mostly reserved their sharpest criticism for President Joe Biden and a Democratic Party they argued had lost touch with mainstream America — failing to pounce on additional counts over Trump’s retention of classified documents that might have otherwise been an opportunity to cut into his comfortable early lead in the polls.

“The time for excuses is over. We must get the job done,” said Ron DeSantis. “I will get the job done.”

The Florida Governor also repeated his frequent promise to halt the “weaponization” of the Justice Department, an allusion to Trump’s legal troubles. But he offered no specific thoughts on the cases against him — even though Trump is also bracing to be charged soon in Washington over his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

The former president frequently avoids attending multicandidate events in person, questioning why he would share a stage with competitors who are badly trailing him in polls. Still, with Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus less than six months away, Trump joined a dozen other GOP hopefuls in speaking to about 1,200 GOP members and activists at the Lincoln Day Dinner.

“If I weren’t running, I would have nobody coming after me,” Trump said in his only veiled reference to his legal issues. He also insisted the same would be true if he were trailing in the polls.

While DeSantis didn’t mention the former president by name, meanwhile, Trump didn’t return the favor. He told the crowd, “I wouldn’t take a chance on that one,” and repeatedly branded him “DeSanctus.”

Trump, meanwhile, did face criticism Friday night from some Republican opponents, but only those considered long shots. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison declared, “As a party, we need a new direction for America and for the GOP,” drawing only muted reaction from the crowd.

Loud and sustained boos came, however, for Rep. Will Hurd, who said, “The reason Donald Trump lost the election in 2020 is he failed to grow the GOP brand.”

The former congressman pressed on, saying: “Donald Trump is not running for president to make America great again. … Donald Trump is running to stay out of prison.”

That was the only reference to locking Trump up on the night, except for a surprising — and potentially coincidental — snippet of walk-on music played as the former president took the stage. Like all the candidates, the event’s organizers played parts of Brooks & Dunn’s “Only in America” as Trump approached.

But his part included the lyrics: “One could end up going to prison. One just might be president.”

Associated Press


16 comments

  • Sonja Fitch

    July 29, 2023 at 8:03 am

    Lol get the job done!!!! Totally out of touch. Racist sexist yams all round loser is Desantis

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  • Laurence J. Gillis

    July 29, 2023 at 8:15 am

    Barry Goldwater is turning in his grave. So are Calvin Coolidge and the rest of the guys in the band. Vote LIBERTARIAN.

    See: http://www.LPF.org

    Yours in Liberty,

    Larry Gillis, Cape Coral

    • PeterH

      July 29, 2023 at 11:31 am

      Actually Mr Gillis …. This evening event is dedicated to a prior president……I think the prior president doing cartwheels in his grave is Abraham Lincoln! Not a single Republican candidate worthy of the Oval Office …. so sad.

  • Earl Pitts "The Ronalds UnOffical Campaign Manager" American

    July 29, 2023 at 8:43 am

    Well there you have it America,
    After watching last nights show of “The Ronald and The RINO’s” everyone is at last on the same page. America is now onboard and comfortable with “The Ronald” as our next POTUS.
    Interesting side bar:
    Also last night’s strong showing of “The Ronald” dashed the “Dook 4 Brains Leftists” best plan forward of running Gavin Newsome, Kamalla, Michelle or some other disgusting Dook 4 Brains Lefty against Trump and rolling his round @55 just like last time.
    That being said, America, that (rolling Trump again) was the “Dook 4 Brains Democratic National Committee’s” one and only shot at keeping The White House.
    Needless to say, with the left’s nefarious plan sunk like The Titanic last night, we are ramping up The Ronald’s security detail. We are bringing in an armed human sheld of Florida Highway Patrol and tasking The Florida Department of Law Enforcement with 100% oversight of The Ronald’s personal security.
    The Federal (Democrat controlled) Secret Service will be downgraded to the positions of housekeeping and go-fers for The Ronald’s Presidential Campaign going forward to sweet sweet victory for The American Public.
    Thank you America,
    Earl Pitts American

    • Ocean Joe

      July 29, 2023 at 9:13 am

      Earl, you’ve got to explain this.

      Everybody seems to agree Biden wants to run against Trump, and would have trouble winning otherwise.

      Our governor keeps insisting the prosecutions of Trump reflect a double standard, that the Dems have weaponized the DOJ, etc.

      Why would Dems want to weaken Trump if they also want him as their opponent?

      Could the ‘weaponization’ theme be yet another kooky conspiracy? While charges may boost Trump in the short run, by the first primary or caucus he’s going to be staring at Jan 6 again, and you could get your wish having Ron win the nomination. So why the nonsense about weaponization from the ‘law and order but we also ransack the Capitol party?”

      • Dont Say FLA

        July 29, 2023 at 12:08 pm

        The way to think through Trump’s indictments goes like this:

        Q: If Trump did it, what would prosecution look like and who would be doing the prosecution?
        A: It would look like it does, and it would be next administration after Trump that would do it.

        Q: If Trump were not running for President, would these prosecutions still be happening?
        A: Yes, the legwork started almost immediately after J6, more than a year prior to Trump announcing another run, and more than two years prior to realizing the GOP was foolish enough to run Trump again

        Q: Are these prosecutions politically motivated?
        A: The Bragg one, yeah, obviously, but the others? No. They started way before anyone ever realized the GOP would be foolish enough to run their loser again.

        Q: If J6 never happened, would Trump be prosecuted for J6
        A: No

        Q: If Trump had just returned all government documents like the other guys did, would prosecution of them happen
        A: Probably not, but the showing of the Iran war plans and bragging how he had them, that one maybe yeah, that one might have still been prosecuted

        Q: If Trump was innocent, would evidence exist?
        A: Maybe, maybe not. Let that play it in court.

        Q: Why did Trump claim election rigging back in 2016 and in 2020 and again now PRIOR to the 2016 election, the 2020 election, and again now?
        A: Because he lies professionally. He lays the groundwork for lies well in advance in the event that he needs to like. Note how the one time he did win (well, Hillary lost), he immediately dropped all claims of it being rigged. From that we can infer that Trump demonstrably does not if it’s rigged in his favor.

        And there’s a few lessons for ya’ on how to look at statements and evaluate for yourself the likelihood they are true, somewhat true, partially true, misunderstood maybe, true but with omissions, or just a bunch of bullshit.

        • Andrew

          July 29, 2023 at 12:10 pm

          Grab em by the pussy! Oh, Earl heard that in Chuirch!

      • Dont Say FLA

        July 29, 2023 at 12:15 pm

        (My Q&A is not addressed at you specifically, OJ. It’s more supplemental info for folks reading you.)

    • Dont Say FLA

      July 29, 2023 at 12:29 pm

      Dad I am really wondering about Ron. It feels like his presidential campaign is just a continuation of his anti-vax, anti-mask campaign, but now with anti-trans anti-qay anti-drag-queen added into the anti-vax mix, aka Moms For Liberty. I think Ron is just running to be a Moms For Liberty, or maybe to attract money to Moms For Liberty. I’m not sure what Ron is doing, but it really does not come across as “trying to become President.”

      Rons says “Make America Florida” but when you dive into that, he is talking about not having to wear Covid masks, and about schools being open. Both of those are already the case for all of the USA, so what is he even talking about with Make America Florida?

      I don’t agree with Ron’s anti-vax position, but he was pretty correct about reopening schools and public places. For the most part, Covid killed the elderly and the weak-in-some-way, and most of them were going to die soon enough anyways, so what’s really the point in everyone sitting at home just so some folks on their death beds can sit at home a little longer before dying anyways.

      That said, everybody and everything is open everywhere in USA, so the stuff that Ron got right, everybody is now right, so Ron has nothing there to offer other than “I told you so” which is not real productive or inspiring.

      Yes, some folks fled to Florida during Covid to escape Covid prevention schemes they did not personally like. Some of them were certainly freedom minded in their choices, but most of them just read bullshit on the internet and believed it. So, most of the folks Ron brought to Florida with his early Covid re-open, they just dumb. I’m not sure it’s a positive for Florida having so many dumb people added (along with, I’ll grant, some freedom minded folks).

      What is it that you really like about Ron, dad? Not just what you don’t like about other GOP candidates or about Biden or about “Trump can’t win,” but why is Ron your “not Trump” choice? What does Ron do that’s good and beneficial in your view? Thanks dad I always appreciate your advice even if I don’t always take it, as kids are wont to do until they get older and realize someday on most topics that mom and/or dad was probably right.

      • My Take

        July 30, 2023 at 9:19 am

        Don’t forget his bringing in all those bad cops.

  • Andrew

    July 29, 2023 at 10:58 am

    Highest car and home insurance in the Nation as Governor, hospitals hacked with millions of citizens data stolen, and he says, “I’ll get the job done’?

  • Dont Say FLA

    July 29, 2023 at 11:13 am

    Trump order his well done and ate it with ketchup.

    Rhonda waited till after Trump ordered and then ordered his “more done than Trump’s,” and then ate it with his fingers.

    These two clowns will speak to the clown bus, but neither of them will ever hold a Press Corp dinner with their thin, crepey burnt Florida skin.

  • Tim Scott

    July 29, 2023 at 11:16 am

    I want to say thank you to Ron DeSantis for opening for me at this event. It’s always easier to speak, and it’s always better received, when the previous speaker bombs like Ron telling some kid his Icee has too much sugar than then shaking the kid’s hand and thanking him for coming even thought his parent(s) brought him because they can’t afford a babysitter because they’re lazy Maggas that refuse to work and refuse to participate in civilized society.

    • Tom

      July 29, 2023 at 11:29 am

      Great scott, Tim – I think you’re onto something.

  • Ron Forrest Ron

    July 29, 2023 at 11:36 am

    Ron promises to get the job. He still must not realize his job here IS done.

    Even if Trump does crash and burn among his electorate, which seems like that is not possible no matter what, Ron has excluded himself from being the GOP primary alternative who would come into play if Donald went down in flames

    But again, Trump going down in Flames, that would have to be among his electorate, but they will never give up on Trump. Never. Ever. Not never ever never.

    Trump could be sitting under the federal prison in isolation, having not been heard from for months, but his voters will still vote for him.

    Trump could be deceased and his voters would refuse to accept the fact of his demise. They’ll say it’s a Deep State Lie and vote for him anyways.

    Ron DeSantis, your job IS done.

Comments are closed.


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