DeSantis visits Iowa as interest in likely Trump rival rises
DAVENPORT, IOWA >> Ahead of a widely expected presidential campaign, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis introduced himself to an eager audience of Iowa Republicans on Friday with a message that leaned into the antagonism toward the left that has made him a popular figure among conservatives.
“We will never surrender to the woke mob,” he said at the Rhythm City Casino Resort in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport. “Our state is where woke goes to die.”
With the Iowa caucuses less than a year away, Republicans in the state are taking a harder look at DeSantis, who is emerging as a leading rival to Donald Trump. The former president, who is mounting his third bid for the White House, will be in Davenport on Monday as early signs warn that some Republicans may be looking for someone else to lead the party into the future.
DeSantis appeared alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and was heading to the capital city of Des Moines later in the day to meet with a small contingent of GOP lawmakers and to promote his newly released book, “The Courage to be Free.”
The visit is an early test of DeSantis' support in the state that will kick off the contest for the Republican nomination next year. Trump remains widely popular among Iowa Republicans, though positive views of the former president have slipped somewhat since he left the White House. Now, 80% say they have a favorable rating of him, down slightly from 91% in September 2021, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released on Friday. Eighteen percent have unfavorable views of Trump.
The poll's movement suggests Iowa Republicans are not singularly committed to Trump for 2024 and are open to considering other candidates. Though slightly behind the wellknown Trump, DeSantis gets a rosy review from Iowa Republicans — 74% favorable rating. Notably, DeSantis has high name recognition in a state over 1,000 miles away from his own; just 20% say they aren't sure how to rate him.
Sandy Bodine said she was impressed with DeSantis as the ballroom emptied out after Friday's morning event.
“He's very articulate, uses common sense it seems in governing,” the retired human resources worker for 3M Co. said.
Bodine would consider attending the 2024 caucuses and supporting DeSantis, though she is registered to neither major political party and has never caucuses before. Regardless, Trump is out of the running for Bodine, who is from nearby Clinton.
“I don't like Trump,” she said. She “unfortunately” voted for Biden in 2020, she said. “He's not a statesman and we need a statesman. I can see DeSantis as a statesman.”
But others in the crowd suggested they would stick with the former president. Retiree Al Greenfield, of Davenport, said he came out of curiosity but “I don't particularly care for” the Florida governor. “He doesn't have the experience,” said Greenfield, who's 70. “He doesn't know the swamp.”
Greenfield is ardently for Trump and plans to caucus for him next year.