Nine Florida Republicans who endorsed Donald Trump for GOP leader over their own governor will be joining the former president during his visit to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Saturday.
Ron DeSantis is also expected to attend the event, but it is uncertain whether he will cross paths with Trump and his entourage of Floridians.
According to the Des Moines Register, Trump's campaign has confirmed that Florida Republican Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Carlos Gimenez, Brian Mast, Cory Mills, Anna Paulina Luna, Greg Steube, and Mike Waltz will be traveling to Iowa to spend the day with the former President. Each representative has publicly expressed their support for Trump as the GOP frontrunner.
Gimenez, speaking on X, expressed his enthusiasm for meeting with Iowa voters and encouraging them to caucus for President Trump. He emphasized the importance of preventing America from succumbing to Biden's far-left agenda, drawing on his personal experience of losing his native homeland to socialism.
The decision to appear alongside the nine Floridians who broke ranks with DeSantis is seen by many as an attempt to sway Iowans who currently support the governor to shift their allegiance to Trump. Notably, Trump is the only candidate, apart from Chris Christie, who is not participating in an event with the Register or the "fair-side chat" series with Governor Kim Reynolds.
While Trump maintains a strong lead in Iowa, recent polls indicate a narrower gap between him and his closest rival compared to the national level. According to a New York Times/Siena poll released on August 4, 44 percent of respondents in Iowa's Republican caucus expressed their intention to vote for Trump, while DeSantis garnered 20 percent.
The Iowa caucuses have long been regarded as a significant indicator of a candidate's performance not only within the Republican Party but also in the general election. The Republican event is scheduled for January 15.
Login