At the Iowa State Fair, DeSantis appears to be a second-rate attraction
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis struggles for air amid attacks from both MAGA and progressives
By Samuel Bensonsbenson@deseretnews.com
Aug 12, 2023, 9:14pm CDT
It seemed everything that could have gone wrong for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday did.
His trip to the Iowa State Fair, a rite of passage for presidential hopefuls, was already on shaky standing after a group of protesters disrupted his first Iowa event Friday. He opted out of the Des Moines Register Soapbox, a state fair mainstay where candidates get 20 minutes for a stump speech, and instead showed up for a public interview with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The “fair-side chat” was set to be redemption — a one-on-one with a longtime ally, where he could spend half an hour, in friendly territory, making a direct case to Iowans.
Before he ever took the stage, though, a banner with a sarcastic message (“Be likeable, Ron!”) circled overhead, a shot at his alleged coldness. Then a group of pro-abortion protesters began blowing ear-piercing whistles and banging cowbells, causing a skirmish in the crowd and forcing Reynolds to pause the event and ask them to play nice. Minutes after the protesters were dragged out by state troopers, DeSantis’ audio cut out.
The governor has spent the past two days coddling and cozying up to every Iowa voter and state legislator possible. The return on investment? Being drowned out by his biggest adversaries: progressives and Trump loyalists.
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https://www.deseret.com/2023/8/12/23828975/iowa-state-fair-desantis
