DeSantis kicks off presidential campaign in Iowa, vows to ‘fight back’ against Trump

By STEVE PEOPLES, HANNAH FINGERHUT and THOMAS BEAUMONT
Associated Press

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped up to Donald Trump at his campaign kickoff event in Iowa, vowing to “fight back” against the former president as the GOP’s 2024 campaign enters a new phase. Until now, the 44-year-old Republican governor whose slogan is “Never Back Down” had largely avoided any direct confrontation with Trump, who has in turn unleashed a torrent of fierce attacks against DeSantis for much of the year. But on Tuesday, DeSantis accused Trump of essentially abandoning “America First” principles on immigration, supporting pandemic-related lockdowns and generally having “moved left” on key issues. DeSantis pointed out: “His whole family moved to Florida under my governorship. Are you kidding me?”