Trump arrives in Iowa to disrupt DeSantis's campaign relaunch efforts

(Patria) - Republican presidential rivals Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis held a showdown in the state of Iowa, at a time when the former president dominates the polls, and the Florida governor is trying to reset his troubled campaign, Reuters reported.

DeSantis, who has had two staff changes in the past three weeks and is sinking in the polls, has long planned to attend the Iowa State Fair, which is important for candidates as the Republican nomination contest begins in that state in January.

Trump's late announcement on Tuesday that he would also attend the event on the same day as DeSantis represented a political derailment of a performance that the Florida governor hopes will kickstart his stalled campaign. DeSantis believes he can stop Trump's march to the Republican presidential nomination by winning in Iowa.

When asked about his governing style, DeSantis said he cared more about protecting voters than his own wealth. "So, we're going to do what's right. We're going to take the hits and we're going to put it on the line," he said in an interview with Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds at the fair.

At the beginning of the interview, Reynolds took issue with a group of protesters using whistles. Later, a large crowd cheered Trump when he arrived at the fair. He later gave a speech at a bar at the fair, where he boasted about his current lead. "We've come a long way in the polls," Trump said.

Iowa holds the first Republican state-by-state nomination contest on January 15. DeSantis hopes a win in that Midwestern state will give him valuable momentum against Trump ahead of the New Hampshire and South Carolina elections. Trump's appearance at the fair could steal interest from the governor and dominate headlines.

It is held in the state capital, Des Moines, and runs from August 10 to 20. Last year it attracted more than a million visitors. Trump's appearance will also complicate efforts for the rest of the Republicans. In addition to Trump and DeSantis, nine other candidates will attend the fair between August 11 and 18, but all with single-digit support in the polls, or more than 40 percentage points behind Trump according to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll.

According to that poll from August 3, Trump has 47% support, and DeSantis only 13%. Most of Trump's rivals have agreed to be interviewed individually by Reynolds between August 11 and 18. Trump declined her invitation, angry about her public neutrality in the primary race and her appearances with DeSantis at several of his Iowa events.