DeSantis mocks Trump cancellation of Iowa rally over tornado concerns: ‘The weather was so nice!’
DES MOINES, Iowa (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis threw shade on former President Donald Trump’s formerly scheduled, then canceled, rally in Iowa at a campaign speech in the state Tuesday evening.
The rally featuring the former president was scheduled to take place on the same day DeSantis was in Iowa on May 13. However, concerns of tornados across the state resulted in the event being canceled.
While there were reports of tornados in the state on May 13, none ended up sweeping across the area of Trump’s scheduled rally, and DeSantis made a surprise appearance near that location that same evening as the former president remained in Florida.
“It is great to be back. Now, a few weeks ago, we were in state. We were not actually scheduled to come to the Des Moines area,” DeSantis said Tuesday night.
“But before we came back to Florida, the weather was so nice that we felt we just had to come back and pay everyone a little bit of a visit! Appreciated that,” he continued.
WATCH: DeSantis mocks Trump cancellation of prior Des Moines, Iowa rally over tornado concerns
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) May 31, 2023
"We were not actually scheduled to come to the Des Moines area [but] the weather was so nice that we felt we just had to come back and pay everyone a little bit of a visit." pic.twitter.com/6ZyEGtgyz9
The governor’s speech also featured Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who had kind words for the governor’s policies in Florida, but not having issued any formal endorsement for 2024 yet.
During his speech, he touched on other issues like immigration, the border wall, Disney, and the economy.
He warned that if Democrats “sweep” in 2024, they may “pack” the Supreme Court, eliminate voter ID, allow ballot harvesting nationwide and establish Washington, D.C. as a state to guarantee two Democrat senators.
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis also joined the governor, and will continue traveling with him across early primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina through the week.
The governor faces an uphill battle, going up against months of poll numbers showing him down upwards of 30-to-40 points to Trump in national and some state primary polls.
His tour, dubbed the “Great American Comeback Tour,” extends through June 2.
“We are laser-focused on taking Governor DeSantis’ forward-thinking message for restoring America to every potential voter in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina,” campaign manager Generra Peck previously said. “Our campaign is committed to putting in the time to win these early nominating states. No one will work harder than Governor DeSantis to share his vision with the country — he has only begun to fight.”
