Presidential Candidate Ron DeSantis holds event in Siouxland

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is campaigning across Iowa this week, and Wednesday morning he spoke in Salix, Iowa.

Wednesday morning, DeSantis spoke at Port Neal. Doors opened at 8 a.m. with the event itself starting around 9 a.m.

DeSantis worked hard on the campaign trail to try and sway voters to vote for him in the Republican primary.

“I guess I do feel I’m really glad that Trump was president, and he did a lot of good things, but I’m starting to think maybe it’s time to bring in a different person,” said Keith Tjeeresman, a Sergeant Bluff, Iowa resident and event attendee.

While addressing the crowd, DeSantis found himself comparing the way he governed Florida through the pandemic to the way Gov. Kim Reynolds handled the pandemic in Iowa.

“We stood up for people’s rights, we protected people’s jobs and small businesses, and guaranteed like your governor did that kids had a right to be in school and get an education in person 5 days a week,” said DeSantis.

DeSantis was adamant that to fix the problems he and the republican party see in the country it will take years of hard work.

“No one’s really been able to make much of a difference and I think part of the reason is you really need a very disciplined energetic president willing to spit nails and fight the needed battles every single day for 8 years,” said DeSantis.

He closed the campaign event by making one large promise to those who attended.

“Set the clock to January 20th, 2025, at high noon, because on the West side of the capitol I will have this left hand on the bible and I will have this right hand in the air, and I will be getting sworn in as the 47th president of these United States,” said DeSantis.

According to FiveThirtyEight Desantis trails only former President Donald Trump in the polls.

As he works to close the gap, right now DeSantis trails by roughly 30 percent.

After his visit in Siouxland he made a few more stops in Iowa including visits to Cedar Rapids, Pella and Council Bluffs.

The DeSantis event, and several other events by presidential candidates, can be fully viewed below.

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