Signs in support of the unannounced presidential campaign of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the vicinity of the Sioux Center prior to his appearance for a speech on May 12, 2023.
Vander Rick Lemon listens intently as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd in the rural mid-U.S. state of Iowa.
“He would be a great candidate for president,” Lemmon told AFP after the hearing.
DeSantis’ conservative values, strong stance on immigration and opposition to abortion make the 60-year-old cowboy hat wearer appealing.
“He checks all the boxes for me,” Lemon says of the qualifications he expects a presidential candidate to meet.
The United States will only elect its next president in November 2024, but whispers of the election are already felt in the humid air of the farm town of Sioux Center.
A rising star in the Republican Party, DeSantis was the guest of honor on Saturday at a political event hosted by Congressman Randy Feenstra of Iowa in the US Congress.
Although DeSantis has not yet made his presidential campaign official, “DeSantis 2024” T-shirts, hats and signs dotting the room made the announcement a formality.
The Florida governor’s visit to Iowa has raised hopes that he will run for office.
Known for its corn fields, Iowa played a key role in the rise of political leaders.
It is the first state to hold a Republican primary, and winning Iowa guarantees the presidential candidates a significant boost to their campaigns.
DeSantis took the stand in a blue shirt, jeans and boots, and recited what appeared to be his political manifesto.
He defended the right to bear arms and vowed to fight “transgender ideology”, promises included in the conservative handbook guiding his administration in Florida.
When he said that if he were President Joe Biden “I would close the (Mexico) border immediately.”
One name that didn’t even come out of his mouth was that of former Republican President Donald Trump (2017-2021), who is his rival in the party leading in the polls.
The real estate mogul was due to hold a rally in a town a few hours’ drive away in Iowa on Saturday, but it was canceled because of tornado warnings.
– ‘It’s not about entertainment’ –
At the event, DeSantis allowed himself only a few veiled allusions to Trump, for example by saying that “governance is not about entertaining the public.”
“Governance is not about building a brand or speaking up on social networks and highlighting virtues,” he said.
“Ultimately, it is about winning and delivering results,” he insisted.
However, Trump didn’t mince words when talking about DeSantis, whom he has ridiculed and criticized.
Although beset by serious legal problems, Trump retained undeniable influence over the Republican Party.
He was charged with 34 felonies in April for his role in paying black money to buy the silence of a porn star with whom he allegedly had an intimate relationship during the 2016 presidential campaign, and this week he was charged with Found liable for sexual assault. 1996.
But at Sioux Center, many did not see this as a problem. In contrast, most people consulted by AFP at the event believed the allegations were part of a “witch hunt”, as the billionaire likes to say.
However, not all Republicans want him back in the White House.
“I would prefer Ron DeSantis than Trump,” said Craig Hoftizer, 47, who was present at the rally, not because of Trump’s problems with the law, but because of his age.
DeSantis is 44, while Trump is 76.
“I’m tired of Trump,” said retiree Carl Cleveland, 72, who said the tycoon “simply can’t control his mouth.”
Some see DeSantis as a man who lacks charisma and experience on the national stage, but his supporters see this as an advantage over the former president.
“Trump is charismatic, but also a little dramatic,” said Dustin Rodger, 40.
“DeSantis supports a lot of the same policies, but he’s also more sophisticated. He comes across as more educated,” he said.
Rodgers, wearing a DeSantis hat, was so excited to hear the governor speak that he brought several friends to persuade him before the election, a successful mission according to him.
But before they can cast their vote for DeSantis, the governor must make his presidential candidacy official, which he has refrained from commenting on and could still take weeks.
