In a strategic shift, the super PAC backing Donald J. Trump has initiated attack ads against Ron DeSantis in Iowa, just months ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses. The ads, financed by Make America Great Again Inc., aim to portray DeSantis as insufficiently conservative due to his alleged support for Puerto Rican statehood.
This move marks a change in tactics for the super PAC, which had previously focused its messaging on the likely general election opponent and attacking President Biden. The ad accuses DeSantis of aligning with liberals by sponsoring a bill related to Puerto Rican statehood, a contentious issue in American politics. DeSantis’s team responded, claiming this shift indicates DeSantis’s growing influence in Iowa, posing a threat to Trump’s nomination prospects.
The Puerto Rico statehood debate has long been divisive, with Republicans, including DeSantis, historically opposing it due to perceived electoral advantages for Democrats. DeSantis, in his role as a congressman, co-sponsored a bill exploring the pathway to statehood, a move resonating with his Puerto Rican constituents in Florida.
It’s crucial to note that Trump himself had initially supported a process for Puerto Rican statehood during his 2016 campaign but later vehemently opposed it, especially after criticism from Puerto Rican officials regarding his response to Hurricane Maria. DeSantis, too, has recently expressed reservations about Puerto Rican statehood, questioning its impact on the Electoral College.
This latest development occurs amid DeSantis’s efforts to maintain his position in Iowa, where he faces competition from Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina. While DeSantis has been a consistent runner-up behind Trump in polls, this recent attack indicates a more complex political landscape emerging in the lead-up to the caucuses.
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