DeSantis heckled during Iowa State Fair: ‘We want Trump’

GOP presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis faced tough crowds at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday.

DeSantis, who is trailing former President Trump by an average of nearly 40 percent in polling averages ahead of the 2024 primaries, was heckled by supporters of the former president as he tried to connect with fairgoers in Iowa.

The Hill Elections 2024 coverage

“We love Trump!” the crowd chanted while DeSantis flipped pork chops at the fair.

Others joined in silently with “Trump won” hats or signs.

Someone also flew above the fairgrounds with a banner that reads “Be likeable, Ron!”

A plane flies over the Iowa State Fair pulling a banner with a message for Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

According to the New York Times, when DeSantis joined Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) for his “fair-side chat,” protesters with cowbells and whistles tried to disrupt the two. Some protesters were reportedly removed from the event by police and Reynolds called on the crowd to be “Iowa Nice.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is seen flipping pork chops ate the Iowa State Fair (Caroline Vakil/The Hill)

Trump and DeSantis, former political allies, have traded harsh barbs against each other as the 2024 primaries have heated up.

In the last few weeks, DeSantis has fired back against Trump’s long-standing claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.