DeSantis kicks off presidential campaign in Iowa, signals he plans to go harder after Trump

By HANNAH FINGERHUT, THOMAS BEAUMONT and STEVE PEOPLES
Associated Press

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has kicked off his presidential campaign in Iowa with a call for “a revival of American greatness.” DeSantis is testing his pitch as the most formidable Republican challenger to former President Donald Trump at the start of a busy week that will take him to 12 cities in three states. While DeSantis jabbed at Trump indirectly during his hourlong speech, he pointedly critiqued the former president while talking to reporters and a small audience afterward. DeSantis said he never bashed Trump publicly as president and said he thought voters would be turned off by the former president’s criticisms of him now.