In Davenport, Iowa, Gov. Ron DeSantis continued to trumpet arguably the most significant endorsement in Iowa.
Ahead of DeSantis’ remarks, Gov. Kim Reynolds extolled him as the “most effective leader” that she has “ever seen” and a “fighter,” continuing messaging momentum established in recent days as her long-awaited support for the Florida Governor materialized.
From there, DeSantis took over, extolling Reynolds and Iowa for being different than other states nearby with Democratic governance, as part of a speech heavy on messaging rehearsed and honed in recent months.
“You just don’t have to go very far from here to see a much different model of governance. Some of you probably are Illinois residents who came here. Probably not what you want. And I know this personally because in Florida, I get a front seat to what’s going on in this country because people visit Florida and they move to Florida from all across the country,” DeSantis said.
He noted that in Southwest Florida during the winter, “it’s like half of Wisconsin and Illinois and they’re all down there.”
“I talked to people and the people that come from Illinois, they are, they have never anything good to say about how Illinois is governed. Let me tell you that people that come from Minnesota have been fleeing. They’re not happy with it,” DeSantis said.
“But the Iowans I meet in like Marco Island, Bonita Springs, all these places, they will say, ‘Oh, we love what you’re doing in Florida and we love what our Governor is doing in Iowa.’”
DeSantis followed up that familiar comparison of Iowa and blue states with more red meat lines he’s honed over recent weeks, including denunciations of Hamas and the porous U.S.-Mexico border, the “degradation of the military” via “woke ideology,” a “hijacked” education system used to “indoctrinate” kids,” and “open season” for criminals thanks to George Soros.
Iowa and Florida, said DeSantis, show that resisting American “decline” can “be done.” They present a contrast to Washington, D.C., Republicans who “cave,” he added.
The Governor continued recounting various policy wins in recent years, including the elimination of “so-called DEI in our universities” and a “ban on all the vax mandates during COVID and mask mandates” to ensure “medical freedom.”
DeSantis painted himself as an uncompromising fighter, regardless of any political consequences he might incur.
“Given the way our country is the media, the Left, all this stuff, it is not going to be cost free. They are going to come at you, you’re going to face a lot of incoming. And so the question is, is that something that you’re going to be able to handle?”
As one might expect, DeSantis didn’t leave his rhetorical question hanging in suspense for long.
“I can tell you this, I do not care what they say about me. I will take the slings, I will take the arrows. I will take the smears. I will take the attacks because ultimately, it’s not about me, it’s about you.”
DeSantis said he hopes to restore the Ronald Reagan vision of a “shining city on the hill.” After weeks in which his Iowa investment seemed not to be paying off, this week signals a potential shift in the race that could provide a pathway to that aspirational goal.
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