Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey have been harassed by angry protesters who referenced an embarrassing claim that Florida’s governor eats chocolate pudding with his hands.
The aspiring 2024 presidential candidate and his glamorous wife awkwardly walked away as two women in t-shirts with the words “Bitches get stuff done” pointed at them in Menlo, Iowa, on Friday.
Heather Ryan, 51, shrieked her protest loudly into a megaphone and then launched into a foul-mouthed tirade at a male bystander who tried to stop her.
Onlookers claim she also called DeSantis “pudding fingers,” though that moment was not caught on camera.
It was a reference to a Daily Beast story published earlier this year that alleged the legislator eats chocolate pudding without utensils, a claim DeSantis has denied but has haunted him ever since.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey were met by two vocal hecklers Friday at their first stop on a six-city tour of Iowa
Dressed all in black, the two liberal protesters stood next to Freedom Rock in Menlo, Iowa, awaiting the arrival of DeSantis
ATTENTION, STRONG LANGUAGE
Instead, he went on to talk about his commitment to returning the U.S. military to a mission-first mindset. He said the protesters at the Melo Freedom Rock have no respect for veterans.
Racist, fascist, anti-gay. Ron DeSantis, go away,” Heather Ryan, 51, of Bondurant, Iowa, and Kara Ryan, 28, of Des Moines, Iowa, shouted into a megaphone.
Donald Trump has also addressed the chocolate pudding claims, including a line about DeSantis’ “dirty fingers” in one of his ads.
The Ryan ladies told DailyMail.com that they were tipped off via TikTok about DeSantis’ very intimate stop in Menlo.
“They’re not even from this county and they come and they want to scream about other people,” DeSantis told the press while still drowned out by the chanting of bullhorns and the ringing of cowbells. ‘We don’t work like that. And we want to take people to a higher level, we want to aim higher. We want a country that can be united again.’
“Such people are holding this country back,” he added. “People like this are the reason we lose as Americans because they have no respect for what these people wearing the uniform did. And they don’t care about honoring the people who stood up and fought for us.”
“So as the only veteran running for president, I can tell you I care about you. It means a lot to me.’
Heather Ryan told DailyMail.com that she considers DeSantis to be the devil.
“I protest against Satan,” Ryan said. So I protest against that. He’s Satan.’
“I think he’s more dangerous than Trump because he’s smarter than Trump,” she added. Trump is an idiot. You know, Trump has a big personality, so I’m sure he’ll get the nomination. DeSantis has no personality, but he’s still dangerous.”
The demonstrator yelled into a megaphone, “Racist, Fascist, anti-gay. Ron DeSantis, go away,” as the Never Back Down PAC campaign bus pulled into the first stop
“Such people hold this country back. People like this are the reason we lose as Americans, because they have no respect for what these people wearing the uniform did,” DeSantis explained as the protest continued.
Heather Ryan, 51, of Bondurant, Iowa (right) and Kara Ryan, 28, of Des Moines, Iowa (left) told DailyMail.com they are protesting the “devil,” claiming DeSantis is “more dangerous” than Trump because he ‘smarter’ than the ex-president
Both Ryan ladies were all in black and their T-shirts read in bold white letters: “B****s get stuff done.”
After the first stop, the rest of the day flowed smoothly as crowds in Iowa in the state welcomed the governor and charmed his all-American family.
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis took their three children Madison, six, Mason, five, and Mamie, three, to buy some corn from a local vendor while her husband talked to Iowans at a truck stop in Audubon on the fourth stop of the day .
Then the kids got more rest with a visit to a park where Mamie was delighted to see Albert, the world’s largest bull statue. Ron and Casey took a break to push their kids on swings in the park’s playground before heading back to the No. 5 stop.
Ron and Casey DeSantis gave their three kids a break from a tough campaign day with a visit to a park in Audubon, Iowa
DeSantis & Co. storm Iowa this week ahead of their performance at the State Fair on Saturday.
The nation’s first primary caucus state will welcome nearly all presidential candidates to speak on the Political Soapbox, sit down for a “fairside chat” with Iowa Gov. some burgers or try unique food selections.
The only 2024 hopefuls not appearing on the stock market are former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and President Joe Biden, who is running for re-election. Biden faces two Democratic competitors, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, who are both coming to Iowa this coming weekend.
DeSantis departed the state capital of Des Moines Friday morning and the first stop of the day was at Freedom Rock in Menlo, where protesters were the first to greet him.
He moved on to a much more welcoming crowd at the Downtowner Family Restaurant in Atlantic, then stopped at an American Legion in Harlan before making a quick pit stop at the Audubon truck stop.
The day concluded with a very brief visit to a Windstar Lines Charter Bus Company location in front of its City Hall in Panora, Iowa.