DeSantis looks to peel off evangelical vote from Trump
by Julia Manchester - 06/03/23 6:00 AM ET
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is seeking to peel away evangelical Christian support from former President Trump as the group is set to play a pivotal role in the 2024 Republican primary.
The competition for the voting bloc was on full display this week in Iowa, where DeSantis held his campaign launch at Eternity Church in Clive. The Florida governor’s moves come as as some evangelicals have criticized Trump’s stance on abortion.
“He appointed three Supreme Court justices that led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, but since that time, his stance on the sanctity of human life has been unclear. It’s been very nuanced,” Bob Vander Plaats, an Iowa evangelical political activist who endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in 2016, told The Hill on NewsNation earlier this week. “I think what voters want to hear is clarity on that issue. Not nuance.”
And DeSantis’ allies are taking note. On Thursday, the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down rolled out an ad in Iowa hitting Trump for saying last month that the six-month ban on most abortions that DeSantis signed into law in Florida was “too harsh.”
“The pro-life community expects better than that,” Vander Plaats is heard saying in the spot.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4032545-desantis-trump-evangelical-voters/