DeSantis started his campaign in Iowa with the former president’s slogans against Trump.

Ron DeSantis in Iowa (AFP)

Wednesday, May 31, 2023 / 16:48

From this state in the heart of the West, he said: “Being a leader is not about pleasing yourself… but about achieving results.”

He called on Republicans to lead the country with “energy” who can govern with “two terms,” ​​without mentioning Trump by name for fear of offending his constituents. The 70-year-old former president.

Ron DeSantis chose to launch his campaign from the tiny state of Iowa, a must for any contender for America’s highest office.

In the build-up to facing a potential Democratic candidate in President Joe Biden in 2024, early voting for a Republican gives the state’s voters an important boost, regardless of who wins.

The Florida governor met his supporters in an evangelical church, in the shadow of a large picture of Jesus Christ.

It reflects an appeal to religious voters that Donald Trump wooed in 2016, while the Catholic is trying to win their votes in his campaign against a culture of “awakening,” meaning awareness against racist abuse and discrimination.

DeSantis called out Trump in his own way, reintroducing some of his catchphrases in his style.

This is evident in his call to “Revive American Greatness,” a clear nod to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.”

The words resonated with Donald Trump’s former supporters, who are interested in a possible replacement for the former president, who has been the subject of numerous allegations in recent times.

“He’s getting a lot of accusations, so I’d like to see someone else,” says epidemiologist Kathy Lenenkogel.

Retired Martha Burch says, “We don’t know what’s going to happen with all these cases, so we want to keep our options open.” This woman sees Florida’s conservative governor as an “America-loving president.” Asked about the polls showing Donald Trump’s huge lead over Ron DeSantis, her husband Bill said: “I don’t believe her,” adding that the campaign still has a long way to go.

During the campaign, Florida’s governor spoke extensively about topics that are popular with the former president’s supporters in an apparent attempt to close this gap in the polls.

He saw immigration as out of control, and he denounced “criminals roaming the streets” and accused the media of spreading “lies”. Each time he was met with applause.

Speaking to reporters moments later, Ron DeSantis took an even harder hit at Donald Trump, mocking his posts on TruthSocial about debt and the coronavirus, and vowing “I’ll fight back.”