Ron DeSantis displays campaign 'reset' in Iowa, but national controversies still dog him

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis returned to small-town Iowa after a campaign "reset" last week, but even between stops at a county fair pig barn and a rural Iowa meet and greet, he struggled to escape the cloud of negative attention that has begun to plague his efforts nationally.

DeSantis’ “Never Back Down” super PAC ferried the governor between rural Iowa towns on Thursday and Friday. And his visit concluded with the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines Friday night, where DeSantis and former President Donald Trump shared an Iowa stage for the first time.

Despite entering the race as Trump's primary opponent, DeSantis has struggled to gain traction as a candidate and close a double-digit polling gap.

This was his first Iowa swing since he fired a third of his campaign staff, part of a shakeup meant to reverse bloated spending and jump-start his efforts.

DeSantis told the Des Moines Register on Friday he recognizes the gravity of resetting the campaign.

“I understand, it's an issue,” he said. “But ultimately, that's not driving, I think, people's decisions. People are looking at it and saying they feel our country's in decline. They know we need to step up and make things happen and reverse that decline. And I'm offering a way to get that done.”

DeSantis' stops in rural Iowa appeared to mark a new strategy for his candidacy. He moved from bigger events to smaller meet and greets, like mingling at a county fair and touring a veterans charity.

Iowa Republicans have advised DeSantis to spend more time in the first-in-the-nation state, focusing on the retail politicking that Trump has foregone.

But even under the blazing Iowa sun, the governor struggled to escape national controversies plaguing him, including a debate over educational standards in Florida that critics say undermines lessons about the brutality of slavery.

Florida curriculum fight follows Ron DeSantis to Iowa

DeSantis has lingered in a negative national spotlight, first for his campaign layoffs and then for his defense of a Florida curriculum that says enslaved people developed skills that could sometimes “be applied for their personal benefit.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the country’s first Black vice president, recently traveled to Florida to condemn the curriculum. Several Black Republicans, including rival presidential contender Sen. Tim Scott, have also voiced their disapproval.

"There's no silver lining to slavery," Scott said when asked about the dispute in Iowa.

DeSantis has continued to lean into the controversy, rather than move on. He told reporters that Scott and D.C. Republicans are accepting "lies that are perpetrated by the left."

And he doubled down during his speech at the Lincoln Dinner.

"We have beaten the left's agenda in the state of Florida, so she thinks she can come down and lie about what we're doing," he said. "I'm not budging an inch. We are going to fight back against these people, and we are not letting them take over our schools any longer."

Teacher John Niemeyer, from the Kalona area, saw DeSantis speak in an Oskaloosa coffeeshop. He said DeSantis should focus less on "wokeness" in education and instead talk more about the economic success of Florida.

“He should get off this wokeness fight that he’s doing,” he said of DeSantis. “It’s not a winning campaign fight, in my opinion.”

Ron DeSantis bus tour includes small-town stops

The Never Back Down bus tour stops featured classic Iowa caucus fare.

DeSantis signed hats and posters at the Wayne County Fair, where he met Future Farmers of America and two large pigs, Shakira and Swifty.

He visited a veterans charity in Albia, where he spoke about his own military experience. And he stopped the massive campaign bus at Casey's between events, grabbing a protein bar. The two-day bus tour was his fourth visit to Iowa since officially launching the campaign in May.

Although he remains surrounded by all the trappings of a front-runner, including a large bus and substantial security team, DeSantis more visibly engaged directly with Iowans throughout the trip, including opening up his events to questions from the audience. He also took questions from reporters at multiple stops and conducted one-on-one interviews with mainstream news outlets.

"He stands firm on what he believes, and he happens to believe a lot like I do," said Sharon Deaver, an 82-year-old Chariton resident who saw DeSantis speak there Thursday. "He stands firm. He doesn't waver, even though he takes a lot of darts and arrows for it."

DeSantis also received a warm reception from the crowd at Friday’s Lincoln Dinner. Some in the audience gave him a standing ovation as he took the stage, and applause was consistent throughout his speech.

DeSantis told the Register he hoped to set himself apart from the other dozen candidates who also took the stage.

"My biography's unique amongst them," he said. "My vision is strong. I have a record of accomplishment, which is second to none, based on what we've done in Florida. And I'm the most likely to not only beat Biden, but to also deliver all these things that we know our country needs as president. And at the end of the day. I think our voters are sick of the talk. I think they're sick of the slogans. I think they want results, and I'm the guy that can get that done.”

DeSantis has framed GOP primary as a two-man race, but Iowans are open to others

The DeSantis campaign has framed the Florida governor as the only viable alternative to Trump.

“No matter how much the media and D.C. elites try to destroy Ron DeSantis, they can’t change the fact that this is a two-man race for the nomination,” campaign spokesman Andrew Romeo told Semafor last week.

But attendees of DeSantis’ bus tour events said they’re not ready to commit to anyone just yet — and some of their lists stretch far beyond Trump and DeSantis.

Kathy Harvey, a retired music teacher living in Chariton, said she agrees with DeSantis’ philosophy on the economy, the U.S.-Mexico border and education. But she hasn’t ruled out caucusing for Trump, either.

“Right now, I would say DeSantis would be up there probably at the top,” Harvey said. “But we still have a few months yet.”

Niemeyer and his wife, Sheila Niemeyer, also a teacher, said after the Oskaloosa event that they're undecided on which candidate to caucus for. DeSantis is one of Sheila's top two choices, while John Niemeyer said DeSantis is “probably my fourth choice,” behind Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Mike and Patricia Inman of Ottumwa are considering supporting DeSantis. Mike Inman said he’s still a Trump fan, while Patricia Inman is ready to move on from the former president.

But the Inmans are also watching North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and “the other guy from South Carolina” — presumably U.S. Sen. Tim Scott.

When asked in Iowa whether he still believes the primary is a two-man race, DeSantis pledged to "outwork everybody" to earn more support. He said there have been “really significant numbers of people” who have committed to caucus for him after attending his events.

"One of the things I like about being in Iowa and New Hampshire, they want to kick the tires. They want to hear from you personally," he said. "But if you … deliver that message and they have confidence in you, they will back you."

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

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 'resets' in Iowa but can't shake curriculum controversy