Iowa evangelical leader expresses doubts about Trump’s ability to win.
Iowa Evangelical Leader Voices Concerns About Trump as 2024 GOP Nominee
Bob Vander Plaats, the influential president and CEO of The Family Leader in Iowa, has expressed strong concerns about former President Donald Trump becoming the 2024 GOP presidential nominee.
Vander Plaats not only desires a dignified nominee but also worries about winning over younger generations who will shape the future of elections. He believes that being a bold leader doesn’t mean compromising on values, as he stated on Sunday:
“The problem people of Faith have with @realDonaldTrump isn’t Church attendance. Has everything to do with the ‘fruits of the Spirit.’ For example, F bombs and mocking people with disabilities. You can be a statesman while being a bold leader.”
Vander Plaats also expressed concerns about Trump signing the CARES Act into law in March 2020, which included funding for COVID-related election measures. Fellow Iowa evangelical Steve Deace claimed that this funding enabled Democrats to steal the last election through ballot harvesting. Vander Plaats responded:
“This, and more, is why @realDonaldTrump supporters are looking for another candidate. The facts aren’t lining up with the repetitive rhetoric. This is the #swamp.”
Vander Plaats emphasized the importance of winning not just the next election but also the next generation:
“We not only want to win the next election, but also win the next generation.”
Quoting GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s column in POLITICO, Vander Plaats agreed with the criticism of Trump’s leadership:
“While Donald Trump promised to lead the nation to recommit itself to the pursuit of greatness, what he delivered was just another tale of grievance, a persecution complex that swallowed much of the #GOP Party whole.”
In an interview with Fox News, Vander Plaats discussed the latest indictment against Trump and how it may impact his support. He believes that Trump has a self-inflicted ceiling and that others are searching for a new generational leader:
“So I do believe the president has a self-inflicted ceiling, and I think others are looking for who else it could be so we could turn the page to that next generational leader.”
Vander Plaats mentioned several potential candidates, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott, and Ramaswamy. He stated that Iowans are currently evaluating these candidates and that the coalescing of support will become clearer in the coming months.
Regarding current polls, Vander Plaats pointed out that early poll numbers don’t always reflect the eventual nominee, using past examples to illustrate his point:
“I like to remind people that if those current poll numbers are right, then in 2008, you would’ve had Giuliani, in 2012 you would’ve had Rick Perry, and in 2016, you would’ve had Jeb Bush or Scott Walker.”
On August 1, Vander Plaats shared his hunch that Trump may not win the Iowa Caucus, despite being the front runner in polls:
“While all these polls show @realDonaldTrump the clear front runner, I see no evidence on the ground to support. My early hunch is he gets beat in #IowaCaucus All narrative regarding him is the same: 1) He did good. 2) Can’t win. 3) Time to move on. 4) Need to win.”
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