Bob Vander Plaats, Family Leader Foundation president and CEO, became the latest influential Iowa leader to endorse Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in another significant win for the Florida governor.
Vander Plaats's endorsement of DeSantis came after the Florida governor, along with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, attended the Family Leader Foundation's 2023 presidential Thanksgiving forum last weekend in Des Moines.
WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT HEARS ORAL ARGUMENTS IN HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING CASE
The Family Leader president said in an interview on Fox News that his endorsement was DeSantis's to "lose" after the governor's several visits to Vander Plaats's offices and attendance at church. Vander Plaats said DeSantis "closed the deal" after the Thanksgiving forum.
"You need a president who's going to surround themselves with the best and brightest people versus having a hard time attracting them again and someone who's actually going to do what they say they're going to do, and I just think he's got the spine to do it, and I think he's got the experience to win for us," Vander Plaats said.
The Family Leader Foundation is a strong conservative Christian organization with heavy influence over evangelical conservatives, an influential voting bloc in the state, particularly at the Iowa caucuses. While Vander Plaats's endorsement is not tied to the foundation, he has backed the last three eventual winners of the caucuses: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2016, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in 2012, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2008.
"Iowa is ground zero. If you up-end the former president here, I think we are going to offer America a choice between President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis. If President Trump wins Iowa here, I think it's going to be awfully hard to make the case that you can beat President Trump, and he's going to be your eventual nominee," he said, noting that the country "needs to look at Iowa a little bit more."
Vander Plaats's endorsement is a win for DeSantis, giving the governor a campaign boost as he seeks to arrive in first place at the Iowa caucuses in January. The latest Iowa polls show former President Donald Trump with a strong lead over his GOP opponents, including DeSantis. A poll from Civiqs conducted from Nov. 10-15 found Trump leading DeSantis, 54% to 18%.
Trump blasted Vander Plaats's endorsement of DeSantis on Wednesday morning, suggesting it was bought and paid for.
"Ron DeDeSanctimonious, in an act of sheer desperation, paid Iowa preacher Bob Vander Plaats $100,000, and then got his Endorsement? We did not seek it. What is going on here?" Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Vander Plaats and Trump do not have a good relationship, particularly after the evangelical leader told CBS News that the former president is the "biggest risk" for Republicans to not win in 2024. Vander Plaats said on Tuesday that the evangelical community may be divided on Trump because "they're a little bit exhausted by the constant indictments" and the "constant complain[ts] about the past."
DeSantis recently secured an endorsement from Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), who originally stated she would remain neutral ahead of the caucuses. Trump said Reynolds's endorsement of DeSantis, whom he called a "wounded bird," gives him "exactly zero bounce." She defended her endorsement of the Florida governor, saying that DeSantis "follows through on his promises, can serve 8 years, and has a WINNING record."