Zinger Key Points
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held his first presidential campaign in Iowa.
- DeSantis humorously suggested that Biden's presidency had been akin to a permanent vacation.
- He highlighted his administration's accomplishments in Florida, including signing the "heartbeat bill."
- Get New Picks of the Market's Top Stocks
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held his first presidential campaign in Iowa, where he criticized President Joe Biden's debt ceiling deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
What Happened: Speaking to a packed crowd at the Eternity Church in Clive, DeSantis humorously suggested that Biden's time in the Oval Office had been tantamount to a permanent vacation.
"It's great for me to report that our great American comeback starts by sending Joe Biden back to his basement in Delaware. "I mean, he's spent so much of his time as president on vacation, we might as well make it permanent," DeSantis said, according to New York Post.
He emphasized that "leadership is not about entertainment" or "virtue signaling," but delivering "results."
DeSantis highlighted the accomplishments of his administration in Florida, including the signing of "the heartbeat bill [with] the strongest pro-life protections in modern Florida history."
He also criticized the recent debt deal, warning that the nation was "careening towards bankruptcy" and that it greenlit excessive borrowing and inflated COVID-era spending.
"Our nation was careening towards bankruptcy before the debt deal, and it will still be careening towards bankruptcy after this debt deal," he said.
Following a glitchy campaign launch on Twitter Spaces last week, DeSantis' delivered a more conventional stump speech on Tuesday. The campaign launch proved to be a financial success, with DeSantis's team raising a record- $8.2 million in the first 24 hours after the announcement.
Why It Matters: As DeSantis sets his sights on the presidency, he faces formidable competition from former President Donald Trump. Recent polls indicate a significant lead for Trump. Even betting odds favor Trump for the GOP nomination.
Just before DeSantis took the stage on Tuesday night, the Trump campaign fired an email criticizing the Florida governor as "A Failure For Iowa And Farmers." Trump's team also called DeSantis a "creature of the swamp," stated the report.
Read Next: Not Trump Or DeSantis: New Poll Shows Elon Musk Is Most Favorable US Political Figure
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
