![230204182904-trump-desantis-republican-primary-split](https://floridapolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/230204182904-trump-desantis-republican-primary-split-1280x720.jpg)
Florida’s Governor is stepping up his attacks on Donald Trump, contending that the former President only showed up at the Iowa State Fair last weekend to upstage him.
During an interview on the Guy Benson Show, Ron DeSantis blasted Trump’s attempts to take the spotlight off him in the Hawkeye State, which seems to be the linchpin of the DeSantis strategy in the 2024 race.
“When I was at the Iowa State fair with (Gov.) Kim Reynolds, that’s when they did their counter program. I think he was on the ground for 45 or 50 minutes. I was the only candidate he cared about in Iowa. He came because I was there and he wanted to try to take some of the attention away from us,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis participated in a so-called “Fair Side Chat” with Reynolds Saturday, but Trump upstaged him, including by having his plane fly over the Governor’s photo op cooking pork steaks, and by having a plane with a banner that said “Be Likable, Ron” overhead when the Governor was campaigning.
“He had a very small crowd. He only had a few people show up. It’s a big difference,” Trump told reporters at the Iowa State Fair, as he offered a comparison of the crowd he drew versus that drawn earlier in the day by the Florida Governor.
Trump, who said he had a “record crowd,” was accompanied to Iowa by various Florida members of Congress who have endorsed him, including U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, Cory Mills, Greg Steube and Mike Waltz.
Gaetz, who was a help to DeSantis in 2018’s campaign for Governor, got the best line of all the members of Congress about his erstwhile ally, talking about how burgers were cooked, going from rare to well done, and saying “the most done you can be is Ron DeSantis.”
Surveys say it’s Trump’s race to lose: the Race to the White House polling average of the state shows Trump up 44% to 18% over DeSantis.
19 comments
Christians Blame Others
August 16, 2023 at 5:27 pm
A crybaby Christian
Ocean Joe
August 16, 2023 at 5:33 pm
When Florida sends its’ people, they’re not sending their best…
Michael K
August 16, 2023 at 6:20 pm
Oh, boo-hoo. Time to change his diaper.
Dont Say FLA
August 16, 2023 at 6:37 pm
Rhonda should be delighted to learn somebody, anybody at all, someone in Iowa gave a rats patootie about his presence there.
Even it was Trump.
Alas, no.
Rhonda whines about it.
WhatNow
August 16, 2023 at 7:20 pm
They’re ALL utterly horrendous politicians, the worst possible.
Cheesy Floridian
August 16, 2023 at 10:02 pm
Here here
Bwj
August 16, 2023 at 7:53 pm
That sounded like somebody needs a nap.
My Take
August 16, 2023 at 7:54 pm
He can’t even be quietly mad about it, or complain just to colleagues.
Florida Penny Pincher
August 16, 2023 at 8:11 pm
Is Governor DeSantis collecting a salary from Florida for all the time he spends campaigning in other states?
cr
August 16, 2023 at 9:45 pm
Yes, that’s how this always works. For any incumbent.
Don’t do petty “gotcha” attempts. It doesn’t play well and makes you look, well, petty without an argument. Study up.
Florida Penny Pincher
August 16, 2023 at 11:11 pm
Are you on the Governor’s “Instant Response” team?
cr
August 16, 2023 at 11:54 pm
no. you’re being silly.
Dont Say FLA
August 17, 2023 at 8:24 am
That question isn’t any sort of “gotcha.” The “gotcha” happened when Rhonda and the Florida state legislature comprised of super majority GOP, exempted Rhonda from Florida’s “Resign to Run” law. That allows Rhonda exclusively among Floridians, to keep collecting that paycheck while running a campaign.
As if exempting Rhonda from Resign to Run weren’t bad enough, then Florida’ GOP exempted Rhonda from Sunshine Laws. Nobody can get any answers about any pennies spent on or by Rhonda anymore.
Rhonda got the sweet, sweet setup with an entire state treasury to pillory for his personal campaign purposes, and yet, he’s still dropping like the kids off at the pool.
andrew sanders
August 17, 2023 at 4:01 pm
Um no we actually had a law in Florida that forbid that until the suck-up legislature changed the rules for DeathSantis. Talk about a weaponization of politics! In fact, Charlie Crist had to resign to run for a different political office because the law was not repealed at that time! Study up!
Tom
August 17, 2023 at 7:50 am
Better he stays out of state so he can do less damage, to us at least, for now. He’ll be back with his tail between his legs soon enough.
Dont Say FLA
August 17, 2023 at 8:25 am
He’ll have his tail between his legs, but not much else.
Mark miller
August 17, 2023 at 7:53 am
Hey Ron stay in Iowa with the fake breast cancer wife of yours.
Governer Desantos
August 17, 2023 at 3:37 pm
I’ve said it before and Casey says I’ll say it again: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAi’mveryshortAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!
sfr8
August 19, 2023 at 4:53 am
Someone should fix the headline. “Donald Trump’s visited?” It’s garbage.
Comments are closed.