Ron DeSantis has been having a rough week. Polls show him trailing Donald Trump significantly in the chase for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, and several viral moments have popped up recently that haven't shown him in the most favorable light. Another happened on Friday.
During a campaign stop in Iowa, DeSantis laid out all the things he had done while governor of Florida and punctuated it with, "And our state has never been better as a result of our decision to keep Florida free." It was an exclamation point line meant to garner uproarious applause. But it was delivered in the now-patented robotic DeSantis tone. As a result, he didn't quite get the reaction he was expecting.
Here's video:
That can best be described as a smattering of applause. It reminiscent of another Florida governor who ran for president in 2016. Jeb Bush, who was floundering in the polls made a campaign stop in Hannover, New Hampshire. He gave a passionate statement about being a president who was not a blowhard, but actually acted in the best interests of the country to create a more peaceful world. As he finished, he faced silence and said, "Please clap."
It marked what was essentially the end of his campaign.
Now, the DeSantis video isn't that bad, but it was pretty crazy to see the guy who was the GOP front-runner a few months ago now reduced to getting polite applause when delivering the heart of his campaign speech.
Also, who is this on the left?
I desperately need to know more.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as Ron DeSantis Has a 'Please Clap' Moment at Iowa Rally.