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Former President Donald Trump said Monday that the nickname ‘Meatball Ron’ is ‘too crude’ to be used on ‘probably’ the ex-president’s biggest rival for the 2024 GOP nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
‘I don’t use that name. It’s used by other people. I don’t like that name, I think it’s too crude,’ Trump said, according to the Daily Caller. ‘I’m a very non-crude individual.’
Trump opened up to reporters on board ‘Trump Force One,’ en route to Davenport, Iowa for his first 2024 campaign outing in the state, which still holds the first Republican caucus, despite the Democrats’ decision to reorder the early contests.
During an appearance at the historic Adler Theater in downtown Davenport, Trump swatted at DeSantis several times, telling the Iowa crowd the Florida governor was bad on ethanyl – an important issue in the corn-growing state – and wanted to cut Social Security and Medicare.
‘You have to remember Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan,’ Trump told the crowd, describing the former GOP House speaker as a ‘RINO loser who is currently destroying Fox.’
‘To be honest with you, Ron also reminds me a lot of Mitt Romney,’ Trump added.
Former President Donald Trump made his first campaign appearance in Iowa Monday evening, taking on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at an event in Davenport, Iowa
Upon arriving in Davenport, Iowa, former President Donald Trump and his entourage stopped at the Machine Shed Restaurant, a barbecue restauant near the Davenport airport
Romney, the Utah senator and a top critic of Trump on Capitol Hill, lost the 2012 presidential election for the Republicans.
DeSantis, who Trump has labeled ‘Ron DeSanctimonious,’ announced last week that he would be going to Iowa as part of his book tour – another sign that he’ll eventually announce a bid.
DeSantis made stops in Davenport and Des Moines, with Trump announcing he was heading to Davenport on the heels of the Florida governor saying he would be there.
Upon arriving in the Hawkeye State, Trump and his entourage stopped at the Machine Shed Restaurant, a barbecue restaurant near the Davenport airport.
There he posed with pies and took selfies with diners, as the historic Adler Theater in downtown Davenport filled up with MAGA faithful.
Trump picked up food for others, but didn’t get dinner for himself, a campaign spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
Only two candidates – Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy – have announced a 2024 bid against the ex-president so far, but on the plane Trump acknowledged that DeSantis was probably his biggest threat for the nomination.
‘I would say probably so, but you never know what happens, it could change,’ he told a group of reporters, including for the Daily Caller and Bloomberg.
‘I think that we’re not going to have much of a challenge,’ Trump said.
Former President Donald Trump is photographed as he makes a stop at the Machine Shed restaurant during his first trip to Iowa as a 2024 presidential hopeful
Former President Donald Trump signs a baseball hat after his speech Monday evening in Davenport, Iowa
Trump’s supporters are photographed singing the national anthem ahead of his appearance in Davenport, Iowa Monday evening
Trump continues to lead in most major opinion polls – though DeSantis had a lead in a recent Florida poll – for the nomination.
Upon taking the stage Trump, of course, boasted about the crowd size, which the campaign said was about 3,500 strong.
Droves of supporters were left outside the Davenport theater Monday evening, not able to squeeze into the venue that is smaller than places where Trump generally holds rallies.
About 1,200 to 1,500 were still waiting in line outside when the event started, the campaign said, pointing out that accounted for more people than who showed up for DeSantis’ speech.
Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds introduced both men.
Trump explained to the crowd that he picked an indoor event due to the cold.
As the ex-president spoke, it was a chilly 31 degrees outside.
The campaign said voters from 77 of Iowa’s counties were represented.
The former president won the state twice and laughed off the thought that the Iowa caucuses could be competitive.
‘I got the farmers 28 million dollars,’ Trump said.
‘Within hours of my inauguration, I will cancel every Biden policy that’s brutalizing our farmers. Every single one of them,’ the ex-president also said.
The biggest applause lines came when Trump tackled culture war issues popular with the right.
Former President Donald Trump took questions for audience members after he concluded his remarks at his Davenport, Iowa event Monday evening
Supporters jumped to their feet when Trump attacked transgender minors being allowed to have gender affirming surgeries and how he was against trans women playing in women’s sports.
‘I will immediately sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school that’s pushing Critical Race Theory, transgender insanity, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children. They’re children!’ Trump remarked.
‘Look at the hand you get for that,’ Trump added, noting how the remarks had earned him thunderous applause.
He also told the crowd he’d ‘not give a penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or mask manate.’
That also earned him big cheers.
The theme of the speech was supposed to be a rollout of Trump’s education policy, but the ex-president’s speech covered a swath of issues.
Trump took questions from the audience after giving his remarks.
‘Unlike Biden you can ask me whatever the hell you want,’ he said to cheers.
He joked that an ‘encore’ was always a ‘dangerous’ proposition.
‘It’s very stupid to do a couple of questions, but let’s give it a shot,’ Trump said.
Questioners mainly stuck to the themes Trump hit in his speech – the southern border, transgender athletes, grocery prices and the presidential race.
One man told Trump he should choose former South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy to be his vice president.
‘We have a lot of great choices for vice president,’ Trump said, remarking that a number of rumored GOP candidates are clearly ‘campaigning right now to be a vice president,’ further expressing that he believed he’d again be at the top of the ticket.
Trump commented on the House speakership drama that happened earlier this year, calling it a great ‘cleansing action’ for the Republican Party.
‘We do have to do something about Mitch McConnell,’ Trump then said – pointing to the fact that the Senate Republican leader has allowed President Joe Biden to have a number of bipartisan legislative achievements.
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