Ron DeSantis visits Iowa pregnancy resource center, continues his rebuke of Donald Trump on abortion

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis spoke extensively about the onset of the war in Gaza during his latest campaign blitz through Iowa, telling caucusgoers and reporters how he would handle the crisis differently than President Joe Biden.

But the Florida governor also mounted a quieter campaign to sway Iowa's faith communities, targeting Republican frontrunner Donald Trump for his opposition to a six-week abortion ban.

DeSantis held events this week at a church in Cedar Rapids and a pregnancy resource center in Storm Lake. After Trump denounced Florida's strict ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy last month, calling it a "terrible thing," DeSantis has criticized him more openly — and pitched himself as an alternative for Iowans who oppose abortion, including evangelicals.

"Of all the candidates that are running, I’m the one that’s actually delivered results on pro-life protections," DeSantis told the Des Moines Register in a Monday interview. "A lot of people talk about it, some people — now Donald Trump — denigrate it, but I’ve actually delivered it. And that’s, I think, what people want to see."

What is Ron DeSantis' stance on abortion?

As the governor of Florida, DeSantis signed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. The law would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. The law includes some exceptions for pregnancies involving rape or incest, or when an abortion is necessary to save a woman's life.

Although DeSantis signed the legislation in April, the law has not taken effect while a legal challenge is underway.

If elected president, DeSantis said during a televised debate that he would support a federal law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

DeSantis says Trump comments 'undermine' abortion issue

The Cornerstone Pregnancy Resource Center in Storm Lake has an unassuming facade. The four-room office shares a building with an energy company and a karate studio. Inside, Cornerstone has a single ultrasound machine and a small room full of donated baby supplies, with stacks of diapers and shelves of tiny, lined-up shoes.

Staff at Cornerstone said they've never had a high-profile visitor like DeSantis, who swept into the office with a fleet of reporters and campaign staff. Cornerstone Executive Director Misty Ried gave the Florida governor, his wife, Casey, and their kids a brief tour of the facility.

DeSantis didn't talk much about abortion during the visit. Instead, he praised Cornerstone for its outreach to parents, and he touted similar programs in Florida.

But pregnancy resource centers such as Cornerstone have been a key bargaining chip in many Republican-led states, including Iowa. Many states that passed restrictive abortion laws have also channeled public money towards these facilities, often faith-based, that encourage women to carry their pregnancy to term and provide some resources to expecting parents.

"I think what they’re doing is really good work," DeSantis told the Des Moines Register in an interview at Cornerstone. When asked if he would support federal funding for pregnancy resource centers, he said "it would depend on the circumstances, but I definitely think this is a worthy cause."

Turning to abortion policy, DeSantis pointed to his record in Florida as his appeal for evangelical caucusgoers.

"I’m a leader that’s delivered results on the issues that they care about," he said. "I’m somebody that has a strong foundation of faith in God, that gives me strength as a leader. We’ve delivered on things from school choice to heartbeat bill, you name it. The things that have mattered for a lot of people, but particularly that are resonant with evangelicals."

But his rival Trump has his own accomplishments to tout. Although he opposed laws that would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, he is also quick to claim credit for the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade — a landmark victory for abortion opponents.

"I was able to do something that nobody thought was possible, end Roe v. Wade,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last month. “For 52 years, people talked, spent vast amounts of money, but couldn’t get the job done. I got the job done!”

Maggie DeWitte, an Iowa activist who opposes abortion and who has endorsed Ron DeSantis, acknowledged the Supreme Court decision was "historic for the pro-life movement."

"While I appreciate that Trump did that for us and for the pro-life movement, his statements now have seemed to contradict the very thing that he was hoping to help us get in the pro-life movement, and that is to eliminate abortion in our country," she said.

DeWitte said she was "very, very disappointed" by Trump's statement — and other pro-life Iowans may be as well.

"It is just showing to pro-life people that his convictions aren't as strong as we thought they were," she said.

DeWitte is one of more than a dozen Iowa abortion opponents who endorsed DeSantis late last month. She is the executive director of Pulse Life Advocates, but did not endorse on behalf of the group.

DeSantis argued that Trump's opposition to restrictive state laws, like those passed in Iowa and in Florida, "undermines" the benefits from the Supreme Court's ruling.

"When he says that pro-life protections are terrible, that’s going to be weaponized in every state in this country who proposes to do pro-life protections," DeSantis said Monday. "Trump is going to be used by the Left to try to say that those protections are a terrible thing."

More: Donald Trump campaigns in Iowa amid Republican backlash to his recent abortion comments

The Iowa surge: DeSantis makes small-town stops while sending in more staff

The Never Back Down bus pulled up to the World's Largest Popcorn Ball in Sac City on Monday, a line of about 40 people waving Ron DeSantis toward the 9,370-pound landmark.

DeSantis debarked from the bus with his wife, Casey, and their two daughters in tow. "You see that, guys?" he asked the kids. "You see that popcorn? You see how big that is?"

After posing for a family picture with the popcorn ball, DeSantis, Casey, and 3-year-old Mamie shook hands with the small crowd of Iowans.

Wall Lake resident Rob Germann, 68, asked the governor about inflation — a top issue for him, as a recently retired grocery store owner. Germann said he was impressed by DeSantis' electoral results in Florida and his performance in the televised debates, and he plans to caucus for him in January.

"I'm glad that he made the stop here. I hope I get to see him again," he said. "I got to shake his hand, got to look him in the face, and that's one thing you need to do. That's what Iowans do, is they shake their hand and look them in the eyes. And he's got true eyes."

The corn behemoth was one of the final stops in DeSantis' latest swing through Iowa. He's visited 74 of Iowa's 99 counties, and he intends to visit each one before the caucus in January.

A Des Moines Register analysis found that DeSantis has the most robust operation in Iowa, with more than two dozen full-time staffers between his PAC and campaign, and several field offices.

DeSantis is betting on the traditional Iowa caucuses playbook, relying on door-knocking and a flurry of small-town retail stops to help him build momentum in Iowa. His staffers were joined by about 30 old friends this past weekend, as former DeSantis aides and volunteers flew themselves to Iowa to help campaign.

Adrian Lukis, former chief of staff for DeSantis who was among the volunteers, said, “I don’t even know if he (DeSantis) knew that we were going to come here. We want to spread his message and tell Iowans, as many as we can, how well did for governor of the state of Florida.”

Ebo Entsuah, a former legislative aide in Congress who worked for DeSantis, said the Florida governor's leadership is "about having courage and not being afraid to say the things that need to be said and actually getting results."

On Monday morning, DeSantis made a visit to another Iowa landmark: the Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor in Le Mars. He ended his hour-long event, which started 30 minutes late and had some in the audience grumbling about his tardiness, by emphasizing his track record on leadership.

“Ultimately, leadership — it's not about creating drama. It's not about a state of chaos. It's not about entertainment. It's about producing results, and that's how you're judged,” DeSantis said.

Pat Warner, a registered Republican voter attending the Blue Bunny event, said she wanted a president who could stand up to elected officials in Congress who she accused of not doing their job because of the spending fight.

“I think that they are all for themselves and they argue too much and they don't do enough for the middle-class, lower-class,” the 77-year-old retiree said, adding she thought DeSantis or South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott could be the man to stand up and lead.

As DeSantis left the stage, some attendees bought ice cream — or in the case of one couple, waited for a friend to deliver some home-grown garlic. DeSantis got neither ice cream nor garlic, but instead took some selfies and boarded the bus for another long day of Iowa campaigning.

Argus Leader reporter Annie Todd and Des Moines Register reporter Phillip Sitter contributed reporting.

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: Ron DeSantis says he's 'delivered results' for abortion opponents as he courts Iowa evangelicals