DeSantis takes swipes at Trump, says it's time to 'send Biden to his basement' ... trends now
Ron DeSantis came out guns blazing against President Joe Biden, Democratic policies and took veiled swipes at Donald Trump in his first campaign remarks since announcing his bid last week as he and wife Casey DeSantis dazzled in Iowa.
The Florida governor railed against the overrun border, spiking crime in Democratic cities, drug-out COVID-19 lockdowns, Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan and lamented the president's son Hunter would already be in jail if he were a Republican.
He vowed to send Biden 'back to his basement,' a call-back to the 2020 presidential election when the president conducted the majority of his campaign from a basement make-shift television studio.
'We cannot permit the inmates to run the asylum,' he said in reference to current Democratic leadership and the state of the country.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign with fiery remarks at a megachurch outside of Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday
The governor and his wife and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis dazzled, both taking a more casual approach than usual and wearing matching powered blue outfits
DeSantis also took swipes at his fellow Republicans, calling House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's debt ceiling deal with President Biden a way to 'careen' the country towards bankruptcy.
He distinguished himself from top competitor and former President Trump by claiming he isn't running for president to get famous.
'At the end of the day, leadership is not about entertainment,' DeSantis said to massive cheers. 'It's not about building a brand. It's not about virtue signaling. It's about results.'
Casey went to bat for her husband, receiving a warm welcome as she explained her voice was 'horse' because she was 'negotiating' with her children that they could not color with a permanent marker on the dining room table.
The Florida first lady, often compared to iconic First Ladies Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Nancy Reagan, donned a powered blue dress, matching the button down of her husband.
An enthusiastic crowd gathered at Eternity Church outside of Des Moines, Iowa Tuesday evening to hear from the newly announced candidate – many seeing him speak for the first time.
Buttering up the crowd, DeSantis said that the recent line calling Iowa the Florida of the North is actually the opposite – and that Florida is the Iowa of the Southeast.
There were mainly two types of attendees Tuesday evening – those dead-set on getting DeSantis nominated on the 2024 Republican Ticket and others testing the waters to see if they are ready to abandon voting for a third election in a row for Donald Trump.
The distinction could usually be discerned by those holding pro-DeSantis signs and decked-out in swag with the governor's name on it versus those in plain clothes.
Mitch, 46, brought his son to the event and said that he is on a fact-finding mission and is attending both the DeSantis remarks and another event Thursday in Iowa with former President Trump.
Roxanne, 68, said she voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020, but said his 'personality' has turned her off and made her curious to see what other candidates have to offer.
While she doesn't have any 'expectations,' Roxanne told DailyMail.com that she came to DeSantis' first campaign since announcing his candidacy 'just to find out, listen to him speak, just kind of get a feel for who he is.'
'I would like him to be a unifier,' she added when asked what she would want from a presidential candidate. 'I mean not only for the whole country, but the Republican, you know, first – we have so
