DeSantis to attend tailgate at Iowa vs. Iowa State game where Trump will also appear
Jenny Goldsberry
Video Embed
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) will be on Iowa State’s campus Saturday ahead of its football game against Iowa University.
DeSantis will have visited more than half of the state’s 99 counties by the time the game begins. His campaign and super PAC “Never Back Down” have offices around Des Moines. Advertisement tracking firm AdImpact reports the PAC has spent $16 million on Iowa market television ads plus a new $25 million ad that will run through the end of October.
DEMOCRAT LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA FOR VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN’S HOUSE SEAT
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump is also slated to attend the game. Per the RealClearPolitics Iowa tracker, Trump is polling about 26 points higher than DeSantis, who is the next-closest rival. Trump attended the rival game in 2015 as well while he was campaigning for the first time.
DeSantis nabbed the endorsement from the former co-chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, Dr. Cody Hoefert last month, who cited the governor’s performance at the Republican National Committee’s primary debate. Hoefert was co-chairman from 2014 to 2021.
The Florida governor is fresh from assessing the damage in his home state due to Hurricane Idalia. President Joe Biden also visited the affected areas after previously claiming he would meet with DeSantis personally during his trip. However, the governor’s spokesman, Jeremy Redfern, denied last week that there were any plans for the two to meet. Instead, the president was flanked by Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Live Oak Mayor Frank Davis. This Iowa visit would be his first campaign stop since Idalia made landfall.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Iowa’s caucus is the first in the nation, slated for January. As a result, Republican candidates are scrambling to perform well in the state.
The game is slated for 3:30 p.m. between the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes, who are currently undefeated. This will be the second game of the season.