This past weekend, former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis hit the Iowa State Fair as the clock ticks down to the first presidential caucus.
While Trump is leading in the polls, DeSantis stands in second place in most of them, including in most surveys of Iowa. DeSantis has a lot riding on Iowa, a state where social conservatives traditionally do well in the Republican presidential primary. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, beat Trump in Iowa back in 2016.
So far, U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., is the only member of the Florida congressional delegation to back DeSantis, a fact Trump highlighted over the weekend. Nine Florida Republicans in the U.S. House–U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Carlos Gimenez, Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, Cory Mills, Greg Steube and Michael Waltz–spent time with Trump in Iowa.
Appearing on NewsNation’s The Hill (weeknights, 5 p.m. ET) last week, DeSantis noted that he was appearing with Gov. Kim Reynolds, R-Iowa, at the fair. So far, Reynolds has remained neutral in the presidential contest, which Trump has complained about.
“Well look, I think it just shows like I’m the guy that takes I get attacked by the left, I get attacked by the Democrats, Biden, Harris, the media, Trump so I must be somebody that they consider to be a threat because if not, you would kind of just ignore and go on. But I can tell you this I’m going to be there with Gov. Kim Reynolds. Donald Trump has attacked Gov. Kim Reynolds. She’s done a great job here. Iowans love here. I am proud as a Republican to see a Republican governor like Kim Reynolds get so many great things done. I don’t believe it’s good for the party to be attacking people like Kim Reynolds and so we’re going to do the Fair Side Chat with her Trump is not doing that chat with Kim Reynolds even though he had the opportunity to do so. So, I think most Iowans you know what to see how Iowans are responding to you. I am fortunate to say we’ve gotten more endorsements from legislators in Iowa than any candidate running by far and that is going to mean more to people in their communities than trying to pull whatever they’re trying to pull,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis was also asked his current polling as he remains behind Trump.
“Voters should focus on the substance – they focus on substance,” DeSantis said. “They don’t care about the process they care about the future of the country. And they want to see what you as president will do to get this country going in a better direction and so anytime you have an opportunity to speak to a crowd here and take questions, to be at the fair, to do a debate those are obviously great opportunities and the more we’re able to do that, the better that we’re able to do. And in Iowa we’ve been able to develop a following because we’re showing up to people’s communities and you gotta earn this nomination and you gotta earn the presidency and nobody is entitled to it and voters expect you to make your case.”
DeSantis was also asked if he expected the other Republican candidates to attack him in the first debate later this month. Trump is not expected to attend.
“I hope so. Look when they’re attacking you that means you’re over the target. So we’re happy to field that and we’ll hold our own. Because at the end of the day I am running to actually win the presidency and do all these great things. I don’t have any other motive. I don’t want to get a cable news deal. I am not trying to sell anything I don’t want a cabinet post. We’re running, we’re running to win and we’re got a record of achievement that I think our voters appreciate because politicians over promise and under deliver we’ve actually delivered on everything that we’ve promised and over delivered in many respects and that’s what we need in Washington the time for excuses is over we gotta get the job done we gotta beat Biden you gotta get in there and you gotta get all this stuff done we will do it because at the end of the day you know our country is in decline and we need to reverse the decline,” DeSantis said.
