Former President Donald Trump criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in agriculture

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Former President Donald Trump attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on agriculture during a campaign trip Friday in Council Bluffs.

The event, held at the Mid-America Center, coincided with the launch of the former president’s Farmers for Trump initiative, posters of which could be seen on every wall.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally, Friday, July 7, 2023, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Charlie Riedel – staff, AP

After a 28-minute delay, Trump made his usual entrance to “Proud to Be an American” while tossing Farmers for Trump hats into the crowd.

Calling DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” throughout the speech, Trump blasted his rival Republican candidate for votes to restrict ethanol production, trying to appeal to farmers in the room.

Trump continued to praise his own controversial policy of imposing heavy tariffs on China in 2018, saying the proceeds were used to help US farmers However, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, among others , reported that the payments only cover the losses of the farmers who are due. on those tariffs.

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I’m proud to be the most pro-farmer president you’ve ever had, Trump said at the start of the event. I fought for Iowa ethanol like no other president in history.

The Council Bluffs campaign stop aims to promote his administration’s agriculture record and tout his handling of regulatory clawbacks on farmers.

Trump said he was the only reason DeSantis was elected governor of Florida in the first place, calling DeSantis dishonest for running against him.

Trump later said he would protect Social Security and Medicare, while DeSantis said he would cut social safety net programs.

People listen as former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally, Friday, July 7, 2023, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Charlie Riedel – staff, AP

Trump then turned his anger on President Joe Biden, attacking the Democrat for allegedly supporting and endorsing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal, despite the resolution never passing and never supported by Biden.

I am a true environmentalist, Trump said. I want clean air, I want clean water, I want good fuel standards, I want clean energy. But, if you look at China, they’re building coal plants that we’re looking at hoping the wind blows.”

He continued with a false statement that the current administration is trying to ban non-electric vehicles. The White House aims to have 50% of new cars sold be electric by 2030.

Trump played hits from earlier campaign rallies, such as calling for re-enactment of travel bans from Muslim-majority countries. He also discussed inflation, the US Supreme Court, the war in Ukraine and Bidens mental well-being.

The crowd cheered throughout the event except when Trump discussed abortion, saying he supports exceptions for rape, incest and murder, which caused the crowd to fall silent.

The conference room at the Mid-America Center was overflowing with Trump supporters, the crowd a mix of Nebraskans and Iowans, with the former appearing to outnumber the latter.

People wait at the start of a rally for former President Donald Trump, Friday, July 7, 2023, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Charlie Riedel – staff, AP

The Associated Press noted that Friday’s event was Trump’s largest event to date in Iowa. The biggest event in Iowa was in March, when he spoke to more than 1,500 people at a theater in Davenport and also followed DeSantis on ethanol.

Trump was expected to hold an outdoor event in May in Des Moines with about 5,000 attendees, but the event was canceled due to a tornado warning.

Iowa Democrats weighed in on Trump’s visit to the Hawkeye State with a morning press conference in Des Moines.

The only Democratic statewide office holder, State Auditor Rob Sand, took shots at Trump ahead of his visit, saying the former president had paved the way for state-level abortion bans, including legislation that Iowa Republicans are expected to pass in a special session on Tuesday.

Sand said Trump and other major Republican candidates have avoided taking a stand on abortion because they know their position is unpopular with voters in the general election. A March Iowa poll found that about 60% of Iowa voters think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.

These people cannot be trusted, because what they know is that they have to pander to a party that is built on a position that is fundamentally unpopular with the majority of Americans, and with the majority of Iowans, he said.

Sand said Trump’s economic agenda was a classic establishment Republican, and contrasted with President Joe Biden, who guided the bipartisan passage of legislation like the bipartisan infrastructure law in 2021.

We hear about infrastructure deals like every week, he said. Four years, this is infrastructure week. Four years, and they haven’t done it. Finally, Joe Biden did it.

People wait in the rain before a rally for former President Donald Trump, Friday, July 7, 2023, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Charlie Riedel – staff, AP Trump fans who are not cool with the accusation

Following an event at the Mid-America Center on Friday, former President Donald Trump made a trip to a local Dairy Queen in Council Bluffs.

He passed out Blizzards to his loyal supporters while shouting “We love you, Mr. President!” rang out inside the restaurant.

After the rally, Trump supporter Stephen Ulicny said he fully supports the former president.

“He’s a very smart guy. He’s very smart financially, he’s very smart about understanding people and he’s ahead of his time in the way he sees things,” Ulincny said. “People either get it and love him or think he’s aloof.”

Trump recently became the first former president to be federally indicted, as he was charged under the Espionage Act and for obstruction of justice.

Ulicny said the indictment had no effect on his support for Trump and that nothing that came out of the trial would change his opinion of the former president.

Trump said in his speech that the accusation was a political attack from the current institution. He continues to widen his poll gap with other GOP hopefuls despite his potential legal issues.

Cory Jobman

Trump defeated DeSantis in Iowa

A PAC supporting former President Donald Trump has published a poll showing Trump with a 23-point lead in Iowa in the field of Republican presidential candidates.

Trump is at 44% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 21%, according to a poll published by the American Greatness PAC.

The third highest response to the poll, at 14%, was undecided. South Carolina US Sen. Tim Scott, at 7%, is the only other candidate polling above 3%.

For the poll, American Greatness PAC commissioned National Research Inc., which surveyed 500 likely Iowa Republican primary voters on July 5 and July 6, according to the PACs’ memo. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Lee-Gazette Des Moines Office

Caleb McCullough of the Lee-Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report, which also includes material from the Associated Press.

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