DeSantis takes advantage as Trump cancels Iowa event.

DeSantis Emerges as a Strong Contender in GOP Presidential Race

Under gray spring skies, the Dean Classic Car Museum in northwestern Iowa was packed with local politicos, media, and everyday conservatives who had swarmed the showroom to hear Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speak at Rep. Randy Feenstra’s (R-Iowa) May 13 family picnic. DeSantis, who could be just days from a formal announcement, is a top player in the GOP’s 2024 presidential spectacle.

Trump Cancels Rally, DeSantis Takes Center Stage

The main character in Republican politics was expected later that night two hundred forty miles to the east in the state capital of Des Moines. An outdoor amphitheater there was hours away from hosting a rally for former President Donald Trump. Trump, the highest-polling Republican, unexpectedly canceled the event, citing a tornado threat in central Iowa. Those in DeSantis’ camp allege the weather was a cover story for poor attendance. In any event, the windy Saturday in Iowa belonged to Ron, not Don.

A Distinct Brand of American Conservatism

DeSantis embodies a new formula for American conservatism, distinct from country club Republicanism, western libertarianism, and Southern evangelicalism. He won applause for comments on Disney, the border, and, in particular, Florida’s COVID-19 response, which became among the least restrictive in the nation over the course of 2020. “We chose freedom over Faucism,” DeSantis declared, referring to the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci. “Faucism was wrong,” he added.

DeSantis vs. Trump

Unlike Trump, DeSantis has so far shied away from directly attacking his chief rival. In Sioux Center, he came closest to knocking Trump when he said the GOP needs to provide a positive alternative vision and avoid dwelling on “the past.” DeSantis’s speeches offer a list of results and paths forward. Some attendees praised DeSantis for his workmanlike quality, which may actually be part of the package for Republicans sick of the former president’s legal dramas.

DeSantis Gains Momentum

“The reception has been great. I think it shows a lot of momentum on the side of Governor DeSantis should he decide to get in the race,” said Erin Perrine, communications director for the pro-DeSantis “Never Back Down” political action committee. DeSantis supporters on social media touted the governor’s unscheduled visit to a barbecue restaurant in Des Moines, the same city where Trump was scheduled to speak.

Exile’s View

One high-profile northwest Iowa Republican who didn’t attend Feenstra’s picnic is former Congressman Steve King. Feenstra primaried King in 2020 after the longtime Iowa lawmaker had become toxic within the GOP. That’s largely thanks to January 2019 coverage in the New York Times.

Attendees’ Reactions

• Shannon Rodger said she’d pick DeSantis over Trump. “DeSantis doesn’t seem to have so much negativity surrounding him,” she told The Epoch Times.
• Wyatt, Shannon Rodger’s son, told The Epoch Times he thinks DeSantis has more appeal to the younger generation than Trump. “Trump seems more argumentative, I think,” he said.
• Ty Rosburg, a county supervisor in Crawford County, Iowa, said, “I’m still waiting for my Teddy Roosevelt.”
• Linda Hasche said, “I’m neither Republican nor Democrat. I just want to hear the truth.”