GARDNERVILLE, Nev. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday condemned Walt Disney World and the U.S. Department of Justice, not his main Republican rival, Donald Trump, as he wooed Nevada Republicans in the heartland of trump
America “is off the rails,” the Republican governor said. “Madness reigns supreme.”
Speaking to Nevada Republicans for the first time as a presidential candidate, DeSantis made no direct mention of the federal indictment of Trump, who faces dozens of felony counts for mishandling classified documents.
“We’re going to end this weaponization of government once and for all,” DeSantis said, donning a short-sleeved T-shirt from a podium adorned with hay bales and bull horns.
The comments come as the GOP’s crowded 2024 presidential class grapples with how to respond to Trump’s recent impeachment. While some Republicans have raised serious concerns about the charges, DeSantis has largely ignored the situation, touching on it only generally by attacking the Justice Department.
Looking at Trump in many polls, it’s unclear whether DeSantis can catch Trump avoiding one of the race’s dominant issues.
The debate was unfolding as DeSantis courted more than 2,000 conservatives, many Trump loyalists among them, gathering for an annual basque fry under a scorching sun at a western Nevada ranch.
DeSantis’ team believes it is particularly well-positioned to compete with Trump in Nevada, one of the first four states to host a presidential primary contest early next year.
Beyond issues like his “war on awakening,” DeSantis also hopes to benefit from a close personal connection with a top Republican leader. Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general and host of Saturday’s gathering, was DeSantis’ roommate during naval officer training and has long remained a friend. Despite serving as Trump’s Nevada chairman during the 2020 election, Laxalt already aligned himself behind the Florida governor by becoming the chairman of DeSantis’ national super PAC.
“I think Governor DeSantis is the only person in America who can win the primary and the general and be a conservative warrior for all of us,” Laxalt said as he introduced DeSantis.
Despite their optimism, it was unclear Saturday how many Republican voters in this west-central state were convinced to abandon Trump. There was only a bit of polite applause as early speakers tried to cast DeSantis as the GOP’s best hope in 2024.
Don Fautt, a Republican voter from nearby Sparks, Nev., said he would support DeSantis in the upcoming primary only if Trump was not on the ballot.
“Trump is the only one who can come in and fix things,” Fautt insisted. “I get tired of his mouth, but I’ll tell you what: he’s a warrior. He will fight. This is what we need.”
Once he took the stage, DeSantis showed his willingness to fight any political opponent, especially Disney.
He told his audience in Nevada that the children’s entertainment giant “is supporting the sexualization of minors.”
The feud between Florida’s governor and the Florida entertainment giant began last year after the company, facing significant pressure, publicly opposed legislation on lessons about sexual orientation and gender identity in the first courses that critics called “Don’t say gay.”
As punishment, DeSantis took over the Disney World governing district through legislation passed by lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors.
DeSantis was speaking at Laxalt’s annual Basque Fry, a cookout-inspired event hosted by the former Nevada attorney general’s grandfather, U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt, the son of a Basque immigrant pastor.
In recent years, the event has become a key stop on the Republican presidential circuit, attracting rising stars hoping to boost their White House ambitions and endear themselves to voters by showcasing local fare. Unlike the pork chops and butter sculptures of the Iowa State Fair, the Basque Fry’s cuisine includes beans, chorizo and, for those who dare, the event’s signature fried lamb testicles.
DeSantis spent much of the afternoon in a large barn with VIPs and event sponsors before taking the stage. His wife, Casey, chatted with attendees outside the barn after their children played on the bouncy bull.
Carlene Rader, a Carson City retiree, said she was leaning toward DeSantis over Trump. She said she is particularly upset by the allegations against Trump filed by federal prosecutors last week. The indictment charged the former president with 37 counts, many under the Espionage Act, which accuse him of illegally storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and try to hide them from the investigators who asked them back.
“He’s done a lot of things he shouldn’t have done,” Rader said of Trump. “Trump has had his time. I like DeSantis a little better.”
