DeSantis celebrates his campaign efforts with advisers and friends
DeSantis took advantage of yesterday’s snow day to relax late Friday with his closest advisers and friends ahead of this weekend’s final campaign blitz.
The Florida governor — along with his wife Casey, top campaign staff, donors, volunteers and friends — gathered Monday night before the convention for a casual celebration at Bevy’s Tavern in suburban Des Moines to thank team members for their efforts.
With just two days left before Iowans vote on their presidential picks, the governor has made nearly 170 stops across the state with four more stops on his campaign schedule today. DeSantis will start in the western part of the state today, with stops in Council Bluffs and Atlantic, followed by an appearance at the headquarters of super PAC Never Back Down in West Des Moines. He’ll finish the day with a town hall in Davenport, on the Illinois border.
Democrats are continuing their billboard campaign in Iowa ahead of the GOP caucuses
The Democratic National Committee is launching another billboard campaign in Iowa, attacking Republican presidential candidates for what they call “extreme” policy positions as they storm the state ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses.
The billboards target former Trump, Haley and DeSantis, who polls show are the top three candidates in the state. Messages on the billboards accuse the three candidates of supporting an “extreme MAGA agenda,” including national abortion bans, cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and tax breaks for the wealthy.
“Regardless of who emerges from the chaos that is the 2024 Republican primary, each of these MAGA extremists is running on a deeply unpopular agenda that will make any of them low-ball losers in the general election,” said DNC National Press Secretary Sarafina Chitika.
At least two of the billboards will feature Trump’s recent remarks predicting the collapse of the U.S. economy. hopefully it will happen “within the next 12 months”.
“Donald Trump says he hopes the economy crashes,” one of the billboards read. “Millions of jobs lost, pensions wiped out, businesses closed.”
Billboards were posted in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Davenport and Des Moines — all places where Republican candidates are announcing events ahead of the caucuses. The ads will remain active until January 16, the day after the election.
Haley and DeSantis super PACs are leading the Trump campaign’s late Iowa advertising
Haley’s super PAC, SFA Fund Inc., will spend the most on television ads in Iowa over the next three days, while Trump will spend the most on any candidate’s campaign, according to AdImpact.
And DeSantis’ two on-air super PACs, Fight Right and Good Fight, spend more combined than Haley’s group, even though DeSantis’ campaign itself spends less. Because campaigns are guaranteed a lower advertising rate than outside groups, although super PACs can raise more money than individual donors, it is more cost-effective for campaigns to spend on TV.
Caucusgoer intensity — and how excited they are to get out in the bitter winter weather — could play a role in Monday’s contest.
Haley hits out at Biden’s foreign policy, predicts strong Iowa showing
Haley appeared on Sean Hannity’s Fox News program on Thursday, attacking President Joe Biden’s foreign policy administration.
“This is a constant topic of conversation with voters in Iowa,” Haley said. “We’ve seen it in New Hampshire, people are concerned that they’re seeing these wars and they’re concerned about what that means. We always have to focus on national security and preventing war. That’s what Joe Biden is missing.”
“It’s really cold, but we’re going to have a strong showing,” Haley said when asked how she expected Monday’s convention to go.