The media never passes on an opportunity to pit Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis against Donald Trump — likely in the hopes that the two Republican heavyweights might take each other out.

New York Times columnist Maggie Haberman, along with Nicholas Nehamas, an investigative reporter at the Miami Herald, took advantage of bad weather forcing the cancelation of a Trump rally in Des Moines, Iowa to claim DeSantis “kicked sand in the former president’s face” when the governor made an unscheduled stop in Des Moines while barnstorming the state.

“Mr. DeSantis — who has avoided direct conflict with Mr. Trump — essentially kicked sand in the former president’s face by coming to an area that Mr. Trump claimed to have been told was too dangerous for him to visit,” Haberman and Nehamas strategically wrote.

Trump called off a planned outdoor rally in Des Moines on Saturday — a Tornado Watch was reportedly posted for the area until 7:00 pm, which is when the rally was set to begin.

“We have been asked to delay or cancel today’s sold-out Rally,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “I am near the Palm Beach Airport, ready to go, but we are on hold because of the very bad weather in Iowa.”

DeSantis’ impromptu visit to the city was outdoors at a local barbecue restaurant and Haberman and Nehamas painted this as an attempt to show up Trump.

“For the first time in months, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday showed the aggressive political instincts that his allies have long insisted he would demonstrate in a contest against former President Donald J. Trump,” they wrote.

Coincidence or not, reporting on the Florida governor’s unscheduled stop made a point to note that Trump had canceled. Accompanied by his beautiful wife, Casey, DeSantis was warmly received in what some saw as a master play:

After Donald Trump canceled his Des Moines rally for inclement weather, Ron DeSantis added an unscheduled stop at a BBQ restaurant just down the road from where Trump was set to appear. He and his wife Casey are standing on a table talking to the crowd now pic.twitter.com/Ybxz2CVgva

— Brianne Pfannenstiel (@brianneDMR) May 14, 2023

Hours after speaking in Cedar Rapids, FL Gov. Ron DeSantis made an unscheduled stop in Des Moines – shaking hands with Iowans at a BBQ restaurant. Trump was set to hold a rally in Des Moines tonight but canceled this afternoon due to weather. @KCCINews pic.twitter.com/SCvctEBrg7

— Amanda Rooker KCCI (@ARookerKCCI) May 14, 2023

As for the weather, turns out that broke in DeSantis’ favor as well:

“Thank you for never backing down. That’s why we love you. God bless the DeSantis family.”

Pretty big crowd of people for an unannounced stop to meet @RonDeSantisFL and @CaseyDeSantis on what appears to be a beautiful evening in Des Moines.

pic.twitter.com/UfhbMsxIql

— Courtney Holland (@hollandcourtney) May 14, 2023

DeSantis added a stop at a barbecue restaurant in Des Moines, where Trump’s scheduled rally tonight was canceled. pic.twitter.com/NC2Z9J9gIa

— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) May 14, 2023

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Tom Tillison

Senior Staff Writer
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.

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