Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) made a campaign stop at a Dairy Queen in an apparent slight to 2024 presidential opponent Donald Trump.
DeSantis stopped by the fast food restaurant Friday in Boone, Iowa, following his appearance at the Family Leadership Summit in Des Moine. This came a week after Trump’s visit to the Council Bluffs location.
TRUMP’S IOWA MISTAKES COULD PROVE COSTLY, GOP STRATEGISTS WARN
“My kids — they like the Blizzards,” DeSantis said after he ordered one. “They like cones, too, but that gets very messy in the car, so we try to stay away from that.”
This was seemingly a reference to Trump’s visit when he asked: “What the hell is a Blizzard?” Trump ordered Blizzards for those in the restaurant because he was in town for a campaign rally.
DeSantis might have been familiar with Dairy Queen and its signature dessert, but the apparent jab at Trump didn’t go unnoticed by the former president’s team and supporters, who blasted the governor for ripping off Trump’s ideas.
DeSantis could never do what President Trump does no matter how hard he tries.
This is a Dairy Queen buddy, not a pudding shop. pic.twitter.com/YBGvirPdHG
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) July 14, 2023
The Florida governor was in town with other Republican presidential candidates for the summit, which Trump didn’t attend. The summit has been a cattle call for candidates looking to line up crucial conservative and evangelical voters ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucus.
Kari Lake was also in Iowa for the summit and took a jab at DeSantis, according to a reporter in the room with Lake, who stood in front of Trump’s campaign posters. Lake accused DeSantis of copying Trump’s campaign stops, and Gov. Glen Youngkin’s (R-VA) signature vest during the visit.
Kari Lake went after Ron DeSantis while campaigning for Trump in Des Moines.
She mentioned how he went to Dairy Queen for Blizzards like Trump and wears vests like Glenn Youngkin. @KariLake: “What’s next? Is he gonna gain a bunch of weight and try to act like Chris Christie?” pic.twitter.com/cp4Q6uo4n2
— Sarah Dean (@sarahmdean95) July 15, 2023
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Both Trump and DeSantis are facing off against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former governor to New Jersey Chris Christie, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, former Vice President Mike Pence, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, political commentator Larry Elder, businessman Perry Johnson, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the race to win the GOP presidential nomination.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) has not endorsed any candidate for president.
