DeSantis, Trump set to visit Iowa, ramping up 2024 moves

FILE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks as he announces a proposal for Digital Bill of Rights, Feb. 15, 2023, at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Fla. DeSantis has emerged as a political star early in the 2024 presidential election season even as he ignores many conventions of modern politics. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump are each headed to Iowa in the coming weeks, making their first trips of the year to the leadoff Republican voting state as the 2024 campaign ramps up.

DeSantis has scheduled events on March 10 in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport and the state capital, Des Moines, to promote his new book, “The Courage to be Free.”

Trump plans to make his first Iowa trip of the 2024 presidential campaign on March 13, with an education policy speech in Davenport.

The closely timed Iowa visits would draw the two leading Republicans closer toward direct competition. Trump has escalated his attacks on DeSantis in recent months as he increasingly views him as a major threat, deriding the governor on social media and trying out insulting nicknames. For his part, DeSantis responded to questions about one such Trump jab last month by saying he does not spend his time “trying to smear other Republicans.”

After a quiet start to the year, Republican presidential prospects have been flocking to Iowa in recent weeks and making plans for future visits.