Staff Reports
During a political rally in Iowa over the weekend, DeSantis was heckled by supporters of the far-right political movement known as MAGA. A video showed the crowd turning away from the governor after seeing Trump's plane flying overhead. The incident further highlighted the ongoing dominance of Trump over DeSantis even before his actual appearance.
In one video, DeSantis can be seen cooking pork while Trump's plane makes an appearance. The crowd's attention quickly shifted to Trump as they embraced his presence.
Trump already overshadowing DeSantis at the Iowa state fair, as the crowd turns away from DeSantis event to watch Trump’s plane encircle overhead pic.twitter.com/nsMo3WpKZO
— Joyce Koh (@JoyceKohTV) August 12, 2023
Adding insult to injury, Lalee Ibssa, a campaign reporter for ABC News, shared footage of the crowd chanting "We want Trump!" and "We love Trump!" as Ron DeSantis walked around an event. The level of support for Trump was so high that DeSantis felt the weight of the crowd's attention.
In the polls, the support for DeSantis has taken a hit. His numbers have dropped to just 30 percent, and Trump's popularity has gone up, gaining 18 points to reach an average of 54. With Trump's support at 53 percent among Republicans, DeSantis is now in third place.
This incident shows how Trump's popularity and charisma can overshadow other potential Republican candidates, such as DeSantis. It also highlights the challenges that DeSantis may face as he tries to compete against a formidable field of candidates. It's too early to tell if he can regain his footing.
