The “Iowa Caucus kingmakers” are Team DeSantis.
Bob Vander Plaats, a prominent Iowa Christian evangelical leader, announced his endorsement of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president on Tuesday.
Vander Plaats, CEO and president of the conservative group Heads of the Family, argued that DeSantis, 45, is the Republican’s best chance to win the 2024 general election and said his endorsement should not come as a surprise.
“What we’re seeing in 2022, the so-called ‘red tide’ is only happening in Florida and in Iowa,” Vander Plaats told Fox News “Special Report” host Bret Baier.
“Gov. DeSantis took a reliable state in Florida and turned it completely red — winning by 20 points, winning in a demographic we haven’t won — but he also did it by being a bold and courageous leader.
“So right away, it’s kind of an endorsement for him to lose,” he added.
Vander Plaats noted that DeSantis “closed the sale” with his presentation at last week’s Family Leaders Thanksgiving Family Forum in Des Moines, which featured a roundtable discussion between Vander Plaats, DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, 38, and the former South Carolina Governor. Nikki Haley, 51.
Former President Donald Trump, the 77-year-old Iowa caucus front-runner, was not invited to the event by Vander Plaats’ group.
“I’m very excited to throw my personal endorsement and support behind Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida,” Vander Plaats said Tuesday.X / Ron DeSantis
“He was very clear about [how] we need a president who can serve two terms, not one. We don’t need a president who will be a lame duck on day one. You need a president who will surround himself with the best and brightest people, rather than having difficulty attracting them again. And somebody who’s really going to do what they say they’re going to do, and I just think he’s got the backbone to do it. And I think he has the experience to win for us,” explained Vander Plaats.
The last three candidates Vander Plaats has endorsed have won the Iowa caucuses, but none of them have been the GOP nominee.
He endorsed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in 2008, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum in 2012 and Texas Senator Ted Cruz in 2016.
DeSantis earned the endorsement of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds earlier this month.AP
“I think the country needs to look at Iowa a little bit more,” Vander Plaats said of his past endorsements.
The evangelical leader also predicted that if Trump wins in Iowa “he will be the eventual nominee.”
“I think America will be given a good choice, and I really believe Ron DeSantis is that guy and I think Iowa is tailor-made for him to win,” he added.
The DeSantis campaign celebrated the endorsement of the “Iowa Caucus kingmaker,” noting in a statement that Vander Plaats’ endorsement came just days after the Sunshine State governor secured the endorsement of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds — the first time since 1996 that an Iowa sitting governor has endorsed a GOP presidential primary candidate.
The DeSantis campaign called Vander Plaats “the kingmaker of the Iowa Caucus.”AP
“As I’ve traveled through 98 of Iowa’s 99 counties, Iowans have shared the important role that Bob Vander Plaats played in engaging Iowa’s faith communities in important, important battles,” DeSantis said. “His support tells Iowans that they can trust me to fight and win for them.
“We are thrilled to have Bob and Darla [his wife] at Team DeSantis and thank them for their friendship as we have gotten to know them throughout this campaign. The road to America’s renaissance begins in Iowa, and we will get the job done.”
Trump’s campaign accused Vander Plaats of demanding money for his endorsement, a claim the religious leader denies.
“Over 150 religious leaders in Iowa organized their congregations for President Trump and not one demanded nearly $100K like Bob Vander Plaat$ did from Ron DeSanctus,” the campaign said in a statement. “When you’re actually the leader of a movement like President Trump, people are willing to support you for free. Kim Reynolds’ endorsement won’t save Ron DeSanctus, and neither will Vander Plaat$’.”
“President Trump knows better than anyone, anyone that my support has never been and never will be for sale,” Vander Plaats told Baier. “So it has nothing to do with any kind of money being paid or anything like that.”
He explained that the candidates, including DeSantis, Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), had paid for his organization to attend the dinner and were promoted in the group’s program.
“They had to pay for it,” Vander Plaats admitted.
DeSantis is currently polling in second place in the Hawkeye State, well behind Trump, who leads the Florida governor by nearly 30 points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
Vander Plaats argued that the key for DeSantis in the Jan. 15 caucus is getting “60% to 65%” of Iowans “open to electing someone” other than Trump to rally behind the Florida governor.
“And it’s up to Governor DeSantis and for us like Kim Reynolds and myself and others who have supported the governor to rally around him and see if we can get him to the finish line in the state of Iowa so that America has a real choice,” he said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
