Iowa voters ‘want to hear from DeSantis’ before deciding whether to ditch Trump

Voters in Iowa are looking forward to hearing from Ron DeSantis as former President Donald Trump‘s most formidable primary competitor prepares for his campaign kick-off event in Des Moines on Tuesday evening.

Several Republicans in the first primary contest state told DailyMail.com that they want to hear what Florida Gov. DeSantis is ‘all about’ before making a final decision on whether they will vote for him or Trump in 2024.

DeSantis officially announced Wednesday the start of his presidential campaign, and is starting off the so-called Great America Comeback Tour with a swing through early primary contest states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Whit, a Des Moines-based rideshare driver, told DailyMail.com Monday evening that he thinks if DeSantis clinches the nomination, he could go on to beat President Biden – he isn’t sure if Trump could do the same.

Julie, a 42-year-old mother-of-two stopping for coffee before work Tuesday morning, said she wants to ‘hear what he’s all about’ before deciding whether she will cast her ballot for Trump or DeSantis in the Republican primary.

Ron and Casey DeSantis are heading Tuesday to Iowa for the first stop of the Florida Governor’s campaign kickoff

Republican voters in the first-in-the-nation primary contest state told DailyMail.com that they want to hear ‘what DeSantis is all about’ before deciding if they want him as the GOP nominee in the 2024 presidential election 

Several diner-goers shared with DailyMail.com their skepticism of choosing between Trump and DeSantis this early in the game, with one saying: ‘I voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, could switch to someone else if I like what he’s saying.’

It was hard to get anyone to commit to saying whether they would absolutely vote for DeSantis in the primary race, with most saying they don’t know enough about the Florida governor to make up their minds yet.

But there are still a few die-hard Trumpers in Des Moines who say they won’t abandon the former president in his third bid for the White House.

‘I like DeSantis, but I think he should have waited until 2028,’ Jack, a retired resident of Des Moines, told DailyMail.com.

After the Des Moines kick-off at Eternity Church on Tuesday evening, the governor and Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis will head to four more Iowa states concluding Wednesday at a racetrack in Cedar Rapids. 

Then the couple will head to New Hampshire for a four-city tour of the small Northeast state, followed by another three-city single-day trip to South Carolina on Friday.

DeSantis than plans to go right back to the start of the trip in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday for Senator Joni Ernst’s Roast & Ride fundraiser.

DeSantis’ first stop for his campaign kickoff is at Eternity Church (pictured) in Clive Tuesday evening and serves as a nod to the evangelical Christians who wield outsize influence in Iowa’s Republican presidential caucuses

Ron DeSantis (pictured in Iowa on May 13) will kick off his presidential campaign with a visit to a megachurch in Iowa as he prepares to hit 12 cities in three early primary contest states this week – before turning right back around on Saturday to return to Des Moines

‘As military veterans, Joni and I both understand the importance of supporting those who have served our nation — and I’m excited to get the chance to do just that at the annual Roast & Ride,’ DeSantis said in a statement on the additional stop.

‘Over the past few months, Casey and I have had the pleasure of getting to know hard-working patriots across the great state of Iowa,’ he added. ‘Florida and Iowa have led the way in the fight for our way of life — and I’m running for president to take that fight to the White House. Our mission is simple: We are building a movement to restore America.’

DeSantis clearly understands the importance of winning over Republican primary voters in Iowa if he wants any chance of beating Trump in 2024.

‘We are competing everywhere. Iowa is very important,’ the governor told Fox & Friends on Monday. ‘We’ve gotten an incredible amount of support. I got endorsed by 37 legislators there before I even announced my candidacy.’

‘We obviously have a lot in common with Iowa in terms of what Florida has done and what they’ve done under Governor Kim Reynolds,’ he added. ‘And I think the groundswell of support has been really, really strong. We’re going to press the case.’