DeSantis kicks off presidential run as ‘best alternative’ to Trump

REPUBLICAN governor Ron DeSantis kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign tour in Iowa this week by pitching himself as the best alternative to Donald Trump.

He did not name the septuagenarian ex-president directly during his speech, but DeSantis, 44, nevertheless evoked Trump, attempting to draw a study of parallels and contrasts.

America needs an “energetic” president capable of serving two terms, he said, a reference to the fact that Trump is constitutionally limited to one more four-year stint in office.

“Leadership is not about entertainment,” DeSantis told Iowans. “It’s about results.” But he also tried to ingratiate himself with Trump’s voter base, most obviously with a campaign slogan –“Our great American comeback” – that strongly echoed Trump’s “Make America great again” mantra.

In an appeal to religious voters previously won over by Trump, the Florida governor started his White House bid at the evangelical Eternity Church in Clive, Iowa.

The practicing Catholic has in recent interviews sought to emphasise his conservative policy achievements, including a ban on discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in schools; a block on funding efforts for promoting diversity at public universities; and one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

He lacks the Republican frontrunner’s national profile, but DeSantis has tried to position himself as an effective policymaker, implicitly contrasting himself with Trump’s reputation for legislative inertia. In Iowa, DeSantis spoke at length on themes dear to the ex-president’s fans, including denouncing immigration as out of control, accusing the media of spreading lies, and painting a dystopian picture of life under Democratic President Joe Biden, who he claimed has allowed criminals “to roam the streets.” Each talking point received a standing ovation.

“American decline is not inevitable. It is a choice. And we must choose a new direction for our country. We must choose a path that will lead to a revival of American greatness,” he said.

His return to Iowa was his second stop this month in the small Midwestern state, which plays an outsized role in presidential elections as the first to cast ballots in the GOP primary, guaranteeing invaluable momentum for the winning candidate.

The kickoff event begins a four-day tour through 12 cities in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Polls show DeSantis trailing Trump, who is set to make his own pitch to Iowans this week. In his speech, DeSantis refrained from explicitly criticising Trump and possibly offending a large voter base that could swing away from the recently indicted ex-president. His approach struck a chord with some in the crowd, who expressed exhaustion with the chaos, scandals and lawsuits that have shadowed Trump.

Speaking to the media after his speech, DeSantis more directly took swings at his chief Republican rival Trump, who has recently skewered the governor on social media. “I’m going to hit back,” DeSantis said.