Bob Vander Plaats, the CEO of the conservative Family Leader organization in Iowa, joined NewsNation’s The Hill this week to discuss the 2024 GOP presidential primary, which will kick off in his state.
Anchor Leland Vittert moderated the discussion and began by asking Vander Plaats about previous comments he made regarding former President Donald Trump.
“In the past, you have said, sir, that Republicans should not choose a nominee whose entire focus is payback for what happened in 2020. It sounds an awful lot like saying it should be anybody but Donald Trump,” Vittert asked.
“Well, I stand by that comment. I think if we’re going to have a conversation about what happened in the past, all sorts of vengeance about what happened in the past versus about a compelling vision for the future, we’re going to get beat in 2024,” Vander Plaats replied, adding:
I think America is exhausted by it, I think they’re tired of it. I think they want to turn the page to the next generation leader, someone who’s got a compelling vision that might unite America around things that actually bless America.
“All right. Fair enough there. Ron DeSantis has strong evangelical roots in Iowa over the weekend, likely to announce sometime either this week or next. It certainly seems like that as they lay out the breadcrumbs. Still, somebody has to beat Donald Trump to be the nominee. Can anyone beat Donald Trump if they don’t take him on directly?” Vittert followed up.
“Well, we’re going to find out in the state of Iowa. I think Iowa’s that crucial this time, Leland. I think Iowa’s very open to finding an alternative to Trump to find out who’s best prepared, not just to win the primary, but to win the entire thing, to win the general election and become president of United States. So the former president’s going to have to make that case to the people of Iowa by why he’s still the one. And others are going to make our case why we need to turn the page,” Vander Plaats replied.
Vittert then asked Vander Plaats if Iowa, which he noted lacks a great deal of diversity, is really to right state to choose a nominee to appeal to independents and across the country.
“Well, first of all, you have to take a look at Iowans, this is not their first rodeo. They’re very politically savvy, politically savvy. They’re not easily impressed. It’s a retail politics state where you shake the hand, look somebody in the eye. And when you talk about the diversity of the state of Iowa, we’re also the state that gave you Barack Obama, who beat Hillary Clinton. Iowans aren’t colorblind,” Vander Plaats argued, adding:
Maybe they will take a look at this thing and say, you know, who’s the best prepared to take on, say, President Joe Biden or Kamala Harris or Michelle Obama or whoever the Democrats put up so that we can win in 2024? This is a chance for the former president to make his case as well as the others to make their case.
Chris Stirewalt, a former Fox News political editor, then asked Vander Plaats whether Trump blaming the fight over abortion rights for the GOP’s recent electoral struggles will backfire.
“Well, it’s a huge problem. And the thing is, the former president could take a victory lap by just saying, hey, look, I’m the guy who gave you three Supreme Court justices that overturned overturning Roe v. Wade,” Vander Plaats replied, adding:
But instead, he then alienates himself from the pro-life community by saying, you’re the reason we didn’t do better in 2022, instead of saying, listen, where my fingerprints were in 2022, we did dismally. And then just recently saying that Ron DeSantis, who signed a heartbeat bill in the state of Florida, that that was too harsh. The pro-life community expects better than that.
I thought his answer to the pro-life issue on the CNN town hall with Kaitlan Collins over that was a disaster as well. That’s why I think the Iowa caucus door has flung wide open for people to take a look at who should be our nominee.
Watch the full clip above via NewsNation.
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