'We have to give up losing': Ron DeSantis stabs Donald Trump in Iowa

Ron DeSantis with spectators during a fundraising picnic at the Sioux Center, Iowa, also on Saturday. Photo: Charlie Neubergall/AP

Steve Scheffler, president of the influential conservative Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, said he thought Mr. DeSantis was «very well received.» crowd.

The Florida governor stayed to greet supporters for about 30 minutes after his speech, amid criticism from donors for failing to engage in traditional retail politics.

" I got the impression that he was going to do a lot more than that.» in Iowa in the coming months, said Mr. Scheffler, who remains neutral ahead of the state's caucuses.

As Mr. DeSantis was happy to hand over supporters stragglers at Mr. Trump's Des Moines meeting point loitering around, some wearing bejeweled "TRUMP" badges or his signature "MAGA" capital letters.

Vendors sell campaign merchandise ahead of a pro-Donald Trump rally in Des Moines Saturday that was later abandoned due to weather warnings. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images North America

Colette Wagner, a 62-year-old schoolteacher, said she drove four hours from Chicago with her partner to see Trump for the first time.

Though she was disappointed by the cancellation rally, Mr. DeSantis didn't bother her. presence in the state.

"I don't think he's going to bridge that gap," she said, referring to Trump's double-digit lead in the Florida gubernatorial polls.

The 76-year-old hoped to demonstrate his dominance over the Republican base with a large outdoor rally in the capital after a tumultuous week. On Tuesday, a New York jury found him responsible for sexually assaulting and slandering writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.

Mr. Trump claimed the civil case was evidence that he was the victim of a political smear campaign.

Aides to the former president expected his rally at an outdoor amphitheater in downtown Des Moines to draw more than 5,000 supporters. information to potential supporters and encourage them to attend a pro-Trump caucus.

Mr. DeSantis' allies told The Telegraph that his supporters have also mounted a massive ground campaign in Iowa in anticipation of his announcement in 2024.< /p>

Nearly 40 Republican lawmakers in the state supported him on the eve of the visit.

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Shortly after, Mr. Trump's campaign released a list of about 150 Iowa elected officials and activists backing him, highlighting the scale of the problem. faced by Mr. DeSantis.

Donald Trump at the National Rifle Association convention in April Photo: Michael Conroy/AP < p>The loss of Iowa, the state that begins the process of the Republican Party's presidential nomination in 2024, could be a devastating blow to both Trump and DeSantis; campaign.

The latest nationwide polls show Mr. Trump leading Mr. DeSantis by 36 points.

The Florida governor appeared unconcerned when he told Iowans Saturday night: & #34; I don't look at polls to tell me what to do.» He added: "I can tell you this… I just started to struggle"