Trump retains Republican frontrunner status, denigrates DeSantis as 'DeSanctis'
Donald Trump at Lincoln dinner fundraiser in Iowa on July 28
Former US president Donald Trump maintained his frontrunner status after nearly every major Republican presidential hopeful shared the stage in the early voting state of Iowa on Friday night during crucial Lincoln Dinner fundraiser. With Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott sharing the stage, the fundraiser occurred with less than six months left for the state's caucuses.
The Republican presidential hopefuls addressed the donors and local Republican leaders.
Trump insisted he was the best candidate to defeat Joe Biden, citing the polls that show him far ahead of DeSantis.
"I wouldn’t take a chance on that one," Trump said of DeSantis, who he consistently referred to as "DeSanctis". Speaking about his record as president, Trump insisted that he was the only president who did not start a war on a foreign land.
The Florida governor, meanwhile, talked up his record in the state that he said has focused to "beat the left's agenda".
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Under DeSantis, the state of Florida has seen attacks on transgender healthcare as well as abortion access.
His relentless attack on LGBTQ+ education has won him hardline supporters amid consistent criticism from activists and people alike.
Also watch |Donald Trump's employee accused of attempting to delete CCTV Footage
Taking a leaf out of Trump's booklet of populism that the former president first used in the run up to his election to the White House in 2016, DeSantis said that he will deploy military on border with Mexico and vowed a "deadly force" on drug cartels.
Iowa Lincoln Dinner: Trump cements frontrunner lead
Despite an immediate prospect of a third criminal indictment, Trump has a whopping 30-point advantage over his closest rival, the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, according to a Fox Business poll.
Meanwhile, the presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis is faltering. The Florida governor has recently fired a third of his campaign staff and reportedly cancelledtwo fundraising events last weekend due to lack of donor interest.
According to FiveThirtyEight’s average of national polls, his support among likely Republican primary voters has dipped by roughly eight points since the beginning of July 2023.
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