Ron DeSantis plays at Iowa's Field of Dreams as rival Donald Trump gets arrested in Georgia

DYERSVILLE, Iowa — As former President Donald Trump was arrested and processed at a Georgia jail Thursday, his top rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, played baseball at Iowa's famous Field of Dreams.

The 91 criminal charges against Trump have loomed over the Republican presidential primary as candidates campaign in Iowa and other early states.

Eight candidates, including DeSantis, were asked in a televised debate on Wednesday to raise their hands if they would support Trump's candidacy in the general election even if he is convicted. DeSantis and five other candidates did, although DeSantis raised his only after looking as his opponents raised theirs first.

Standing on the pitcher's mound at the iconic Field of Dreams baseball diamond the next day, DeSantis brushed off questions about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and the charges against Trump. He said Republicans "don't have to let (the indictments) overwhelm" their messaging.

"The reality is whatever happened then isn't going to change. Like, it is what it is," DeSantis said. "However you want to talk about that, it isn't going to make gas prices go down, it's not going to make groceries more affordable, and that's what we've got to focus on."

DeSantis didn't give a speech at the set of the 1989 baseball movie. Instead, he tossed baseballs to his kids and talked informally with event attendees. As the sun set and the sweltering heat broke, the DeSantis family took pictures by the corn lining the field.

DeSantis also made campaign stops in northwest Iowa on Friday, part of a three-day campaign swing organized by his Never Back Down PAC. The Florida governor made multiple trips to Iowa in August, and he has pledged to visit all 99 counties.

Frontrunner Trump has made far fewer Iowa visits this year, but he still holds a commanding lead over DeSantis in a recent Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll.

A recent Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight and Ipsos poll found that 29% of Republican votes thought DeSantis performed best at Wednesday night's Republican debate, a higher percentage than any of the other seven candidates on the stage that night.

Asked Thursday about the split-screen moment between the Georgia jail and the Iowa cornfield, DeSantis replied, “Well, I’m glad I’m at the Field of Dreams. I’m happy to be here.”

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

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: DeSantis visits Field of Dreams as Trump arrested in Georgia