5 times Ron DeSantis took pointed jabs at Donald Trump while campaigning in Iowa this week

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took the stage in West Des Moines Tuesday night, he didn’t mention his chief rival Donald Trump by name. But he took a few subtle swings in Trump's direction.

“Leadership is not about entertainment. It's not about building a brand,” DeSantis said to a room filled with supporters, who laughed knowingly at the reference to former President Donald Trump.

DeSantis told the crowd it would be important to elect a two-term president who could continue appointing conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court — an acknowledgment that if Trump is elected, he will only be eligible to serve one more term.

And DeSantis urged Iowa Republicans to reject a “culture of losing,” emphasizing his own victories in Florida and alluding to Trump’s 2020 loss.

But afterward, in a news conference with reporters, DeSantis let it rip against Trump, unleashing a wave of criticisms he has largely kept to himself until now.

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“I am going to counterpunch,” he promised. “I’m going to fight back on it.”

It underscores a fine line DeSantis is trying to walk as he focuses his speeches to caucusgoers on Democratic President Joe Biden while also showing he intends to take on Trump directly.

“I’m going to focus my fire on Biden,” DeSantis said. “And I think he should do the same. He gives Biden a free pass. I’m focusing on Biden.”

Here’s a look at five times DeSantis criticized Trump Tuesday.

More: Is Ron DeSantis ready for Iowa prime time? What to watch in first presidential campaign trip

Ron DeSantis on COVID policy

DeSantis came out swinging against remarks Trump recently made in a video message saying that “even” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo “did better” than DeSantis in managing the COVID pandemic.

“First of all, that’s not what he used to say,” DeSantis told reporters. “This is like, new. Six months ago, he would have never said that, right? He used to say how great Florida was. Hell, his whole family moved to Florida under my governorship. Are you kidding me?”

He said the criticism is “ridiculous” and suggested the criticism is “an indication that the former president would double down on his lockdowns from March of 2020.”

“What I’ve said about that is look, it was a difficult situation,” DeSantis said. “We didn’t know a lot. And so, I think people could do things that they regret. I mean, I’ve said there are things we did those first few weeks that I pivoted from. … And if you could go back in time to do it again, you would never do what was done in this country starting with, I think, the fatal mistake of turning the country over to Fauci.”

Ron DeSantis on Disney

DeSantis called Trump’s criticism over his feud with Disney “very bizarre” and said he is “standing for the children, no matter what.”

Ron DeSantis on staying true to ‘America first’ principles

DeSantis said Trump has compromised his “America first” principles on policies involving COVID, immigration and spending.

“I do think, unfortunately, he’s decided to move left on some of these issues,” he said. “And I think it’s me that’s just being true to kind of what we said we would do.”

Ron DeSantis on winning

DeSantis said he would distinguish himself from Trump in Iowa by talking about his ability to win in a diverse state like Florida, which he called a “microcosm” of the country. It echoes a concern shared by many Iowa Republicans who worry whether Trump can appeal to enough people to defeat Joe Biden in a general election.

“We’ve shown an ability to win and win big,” he said. “That’s just first and foremost. Because I think our voters are looking at this and they say, ‘You know, yeah, we appreciate what he did, but we also recognize there are a lot of voters who just aren’t going to ever vote for him.’ We just have to accept that.”

Ron DeSantis on the debt ceiling

DeSantis has weighed in opposing the debt limit deal moving through Congress and criticized Trump for failing to take a stand.

“Yeah, I think he should come out,” he said. “I mean, are you leading from the front or are you waiting for polls to tell you what position to take? I led from the front on this. I reviewed the deal. I spoke with people I trusted, and I put out a statement saying where I stand on it. And I didn’t need to put my finger in the wind. That’s not how I roll.”

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ron DeSantis sharply criticized Donald Trump in Iowa this week