Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis began his quest to end former President Donald Trump’s reign over the Republican Party, launching his White House bid on Tuesday in a packed church west of Des Moines, where he gave voters a close-up look at the leading Republican alternative to the former president.
Mr. DeSantis, 44, is the only candidate other than Mr. Trump registering in double digits among both national and Hawkeye State primary voters, but he’s trailing the former president by 30 points nationally and more than 20 points in Iowa.
He accused Democrats of kneecapping the economy by killing energy production, leaving the borders wide open and letting criminals roam the streets by allowing crime to increase in the nation’s cities. The DeSantis campaign launch attracted dedicated supporters and curious GOP voters looking for an alternative to Mr. Trump, who is running for president while facing criminal investigations and lawsuits and who was recently found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a New York City civil suit that revived decades-old allegations.“We are just kind of checking him out,” said William Siefkas, 66, who came to the DeSantis launch with his wife, Connie.
Matt Wells, 42, who lives in Washington, in the southeastern quadrant of the state, is all in for Mr. DeSantis, in part because of Mr. DeSantis’s squeaky-clean resume and dedication to his family. “I think he will easily appeal to people of my age,” Mr. Wells said. “The ones I worry about are the boomers. The problem I see is that they are putting their hopes and dreams on a guy.”
“When you do the right thing regardless of polls, regardless of where the wind’s blowing, people appreciate you,” Mr. DeSantis said. “At the end of the day, leadership is not about entertainment, it’s not about building a brand or virtue signaling, it’s about results.”
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