DeSantis Campaign Press Release - DeSantis Up to 83 Counties in Iowa

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Ron DeSantis was back in Iowa today holding multiple events across the state – he has now visited 83 of Iowa's 99 counties, nearing completion of the "Full Grassley."

He began his trip Friday night at Rep. Miller-Meeks tailgate in Iowa City.

During the event, DeSantis spoke with Jeff Stein on the Iowa Talking Points Podcast.

Watch the interview here.

"Politics is a team effort. You get in there as the executive, that's great. You got to have people in the legislative branch that are going to support the agenda. You can't govern through just executive orders. Yeah, I can revoke Biden's stuff, and I will do that, but ultimately, to get the country turned around, you need to put an agenda through Congress. And there's no way we're going to be able to get this stuff done unless we return a Republican majority. So, these marginal districts, we've got to carry. I think with me on the top of the ticket, that'll provide some positive lift like we did in Florida, and hopefully we'll be able to expand the house and then recapture the Senate majority. But absolutely important. This is a team effort. A rising tide lifts all boats. It's not just going to be about me at the top of the ticket. I'm going to work to help all the Republicans up and down the ballot."

Saturday morning, DeSantis packed the house at American Legion Post 6 in Dubuque, IA for a veterans coalition event.

Following his first event, the Governor took questions from press where he was asked about Florida's flights from Israel to get Americans home:

"We snapped into action. Were we in a rush? You're damn right we were in a rush because people were stranded over there. What are we going to do? Just let them sit there for weeks on end?" said Ron DeSantis. "We weren't just going to strand them. We got them on commercial to get back. So it's a dynamic environment, but we're going to end up probably after this weekend, you know, we'll probably have brought back 750 people from there. I don't see anybody else stepping up and getting the job done. It's a very--, it is a dynamic situation. A lot of irons in the fire on something like that. You got to work with the Israeli government. You got to work with other governments. So, I think all in all, we stepped up while others didn't and we're happy to lead."

After, he transitioned to the Never Back Down bus tour as a special guest and stopped to greet diners at Darrell's in Monticello, IA.

For county #82, DeSantis met Iowans at Obie's Bar & Restaurant in Maquoketa, IA.

His last stop of the day was with a huge crowd at Legends Sports Bar in Clinton, IA.

"And then you look at what's going on in the Congress. They're like chickens with their heads cut off, they can't even elect the Speaker of the House of Representatives. And it's all about the theater. It's all about the drama. It's all about trying to get clicks on social media. I'll tell you, watching what these guys are doing. It only strengthens my belief that we need term limits for members of Congress. But the DC politicians, it is about theater over substance, they're not producing results, causing problems, and they're not fixing any problems. And that's the total opposite of how we approach things in Florida. In Florida, we don't do drama. We don't do political theater, no political empty calories. My job as a leader, and the way I'm judged, is by producing results for the people I represent. That's what you have to do."