DeSantis vies with Trump to sway Iowa conservatives

Warning of a “Republican culture of losing,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sought Saturday to weaken former President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party as the party’s top presidential prospects clashed on the Iowa battlefield.

DeSantis, who is expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign any day now, briefly tossed burgers and pork chops at a fundraiser picnic at Sioux Center that drew hundreds of conservatives to the northwest corner of the state. But he largely focused on formal speech promoting his willingness to embrace conservative cultural struggles and peppered his remarks with indirect jabs at Trump.

“Governing is not entertaining. Governing is not about building a brand or talking on social media and pointing out virtue,” said DeSantis, who was wearing a blue shirt with no tie or jacket. “Ultimately, it’s about winning and producing results.”

Trump, a candidate since November, had hoped to show his political muscle with a large outdoor rally in Des Moines, the capital, later in the day.

Although Trump and DeSantis were scheduled to be hundreds of miles apart, the split-screen moment in the opening state of the GOP primary offered a preview of the matchup between the two Republican powerhouses. Trump is way ahead of his rivals in early national polls, while DeSantis is seen as the strongest potential challenger.

Trump was returning to the comfort of the campaign stage after a tumultuous week.

On Tuesday, a civil jury in New York found him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming advice columnist E. Jean Carroll and awarded him $5 million. A day later, during a controversial town hall, he repeatedly insulted Carroll, reaffirmed lies about her defeat in the 2020 election and downplayed the violence at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

DeSantis has polished his reputation as a conservative governor willing to push conservative policies and even pick a political fight with Disney, which he highlighted at the Sioux Center. But so far, he hasn’t shown the same enthusiasm for taking on Trump, who has been almost singularly focused on taking down DeSantis for months.

DeSantis devoted much of his remarks to his embrace of conservative cultural priorities, including his opposition to diversity and equity programs in public schools and laws aimed at restricting the rights of transgender people.

But, in another indirect jab at Trump, he highlighted the recent string of electoral losses for the Republican Party. He didn’t say so explicitly, but the Republican Party has struggled in every national election since Trump’s victory in 2016.

“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 unclear if DeSantis’s political successes in Florida can be replicated on the national stage.

Even before he formally enters the race, he already faces questions about his ability to woo donors and attract voters.
The visit to Iowa, his second in two months, was expected to help address concerns about his sometimes awkward personal attractiveness as he met with Republican officials, donors and volunteers, all under the gaze of the national media. But DeSantis spared little time for selfies or handshakes at Sioux Center, where more than 600 people had gathered to watch him at an event billed as a family picnic for U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.

After his speech, DeSantis ran through the crowd and ignored the reporters.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.