'We must reject losing': Ron DeSantis jabs at Donald Trump in Iowa
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As trucks struggled through muddy, water-logged grass, dismantling "Trump" signs and staging in Des Moines, a smiling Ron DeSantis was taking to the stage in a hotel ballroom elsewhere in Iowa, 120 miles away.
Donald Trump had hoped to steal the Florida governor's limelight by holding one of his signature rallies in Iowa on the same night his biggest 2024 rival was in the critical first voting state in the presidential party caucuses and primaries.
But with a tornado warning, and lashings of rain, bearing down on his outdoor venue on Saturday, the former president was forced to pull out at the last minute. Mr DeSantis now owned the night.
The 44-year-old governor was quick to press his advantage, telling prospective voters that the Republican Party had to end a “culture of losing” in an implicit jab at Mr Trump.
He appeared relaxed on stage in Cedar Rapids as he teased his 2024 presidential bid, telling the crowd: "I have only begun to fight."
It is as close to a formal declaration as Mr DeSantis has ventured to date. Sources close to the governor say he could announce his bid within a fortnight.
With Mr Trump forced to stay away, Mr DeSantis repeatedly jabbed the Republican frontrunner in subtle digs as he criss-crossed the state on Saturday.
“We must reject the culture of losing that has impacted our party in recent years,” he said as he flipped burgers in an apron and open-necked blue shirt at a fundraiser in the northwest of the state.
“If we get distracted, if we focus the election on the past or on other side issues, then I think the Democrats are going to beat us again.”
It appeared to signal the beginning of an aggressive new approach by Mr DeSantis, who has let Mr Trump's frequent verbal attacks go unchallenged to date.
He doubled down hours later at a hotel in Cedar Rapids, where he said his party was "frustrated with the losses" it had endured under Mr Trump's leadership.
Steve Scheffler, president of the influential conservative Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, said he thought Mr DeSantis was very "well received" by the crowd.
The Florida governor remained to greet supporters for around 30 minutes after his speech, amid criticism from donors for failing to engage in traditional retail politics.
"I got the impression that he's going to do a lot more of that" in Iowa in the coming months, said Mr Scheffler, who is staying neutral ahead of the state's caucuses.
As Mr DeSantis was glad handing supporters, stragglers at Mr Trump's venue in Des Moines milled around at a loose end, some wearing jewelled "TRUMP" badges, or his signature "MAGA" caps.
Colette Wagner, a 62-year-old school teacher, said she had driven four hours from Chicago with her partner to see Mr Trump for the first time.
While she was disappointed the rally was cancelled, she was unfazed by Mr DeSantis' presence in the state.
"I don't think he's going to bridge that gap," she said, referencing Mr Trump's double-digit polling lead on the Florida governor.
The 76-year-old had hoped to demonstrate his dominance over the Republican base with a large outdoor rally in the capital after a tumultuous week.
On Tuesday, a New York jury found him liable for the sexual battery and defamation of the writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.
Mr Trump has argued the civil case is evidence he is the victim of a political smear campaign.
The former president’s aides had expected more than 5,000 supporters to attend his rally at an outdoor amphitheatre in downtown Des Moines.
His team in Iowa - a more professional operation than in 2016 – had planned to use the event to collect contact information from would-be supporters and encourage them to caucus for Mr Trump.
Allies of Mr DeSantis told The Telegraph his backers have also launched a huge ground campaign in Iowa in anticipation of his 2024 announcement.
Almost 40 Republican lawmakers in the state endorsed him on the eve of his visit.
Shortly afterwards Mr Trump's campaign unveiled a list of around 150 Iowa elected officials and activists backing him – underscoring the scale of the challenge Mr DeSantis faces.
Losing Iowa, the state that kicks off the 2024 GOP presidential nomination process, could deal a crippling blow to both Mr Trump's and Mr DeSantis' campaigns.
The latest nationwide polling shows Mr Trump with a 36-point lead over Mr DeSantis.
The Florida governor appeared unconcerned as he told Iowans on Saturday night: "I don't look at polls to tell me what to do." He added: "I can tell you this... I've only begun to fight."
