Former President Donald Trump and a dozen other candidates seeking the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination are due to speak tonight at an Iowa Republican Party fundraiser. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is among a handful of candidates who’ve already made campaign stops today. DeSantis said it’s up to voters to decide if Trump’s legal woes are a disqualifying issue. DeSantis instead suggested there are policy choices he and Trump have made that have a direct impact on voters’ lives.
“He promised to eliminate the national debt when he ran for president. He added almost $8 trillion to the national debt. In Florida, we’ve actually reduced our state debt since I’ve been governor by almost 25%,” DeSantis said. “We’ve been very clear on the disagreements we have about bureaucrats like Dr. Fauci. He elevated Fauci, he left him in there and he did not fire him and I would have done just the opposite.”
DeSantis also indirectly criticized Republican rival Tim Scott, a U-S senator from South Carolina, for raising concerns about Florida’s new black history curriculum. “I think part of the reason our country has struggled is because D.C. Republicans all too often accept false narratives,” DeSantis said, “accept lies that are perpetrated by the left.”
In Ankeny last night, Scott commented on a line in Florida’s classroom guidance that says slaves “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” Scott said: “There’s no silver lining in slavery.” DeSantis said the curriculum makes the point slaves gained skills not because of but despite of slavery
Early this morning, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz joined the Iowa Democratic Party’s chairwoman in criticizing the group of GOP presidential candidates who’ll be gathering tonight (Friday) in Des Moines. Walz said Republicans are out of step with the majority of Americans on a variety of issues, like abortion.
“A very Minnesota and I would argue a very Iowa trait is mind your own damned business,” Walz said. “We don’t need you in the exam room. We don’t need you telling us who we can love. We don’t need you to dictating to us about rewriting the history about what happened in this country around slavery.”
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at an event at Drake University early this afternoon and criticized Iowa’s new fetal heartbeat law. Harris said America “is stronger when rights are expanded, rather than restricted” and women don’t need to be told by their government what’s best for them.
“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government should not be telling her what to do,” Harris said.
This is Harris’ second trip to Iowa since becoming vice president.