Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey turned the wedding of an Iowa State Representative into a campaign stunt as DeSantis attempted to close the gap between himself and former President Donald Trump.
The governor of Florida had been in the state and appeared at the wedding of Iowa State Representative Taylor Collins and his wife Savannah.
DeSantis and his wife followed the newlyweds as they entered the event, which was being held in a building in the state capital.
In videos shared on social media, Florida’s governor was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation from the 150 or so guests.
His appearance at the wedding came just days after former President Donald Trump also crashed a wedding at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey.
DeSantis and his wife followed the newlyweds as they entered the event at a building in the state capitol.
The governor of Florida was greeted with cheers and a standing ovation by the approximately 150 guests
Video footage shows DeSantis entering the wedding reception to loud cheers and whistles as he waves to the crowd.
The newlyweds quickly step aside as they enter the great room in front of them, as Representative Collins enthusiastically applauds DeSantis.
Iowa Governor Adam Gregg also shared a photo of him and his family with DeSantis on his Twitter page.
On Twitter, he said, “Congratulations Taylor Collins and Savannah Collins! So happy for you!
‘Beautiful with a few surprising special guests. Only in Iowa.”
The New York Times reported that the couple spent time mingling with the guests after their arrival.
The outlet also reported that the two were invited at the last minute by bride Savannah Collins to the surprise of her husband who previously endorsed DeSantis.
DeSantis had been in the state on a two-day tour of Iowa and pressed his recent Florida record of conservative education, abortion and gender policies, and an equally GOP crowd-pleasing agenda for the nation.
He caused applause at a Saturday morning event in Cedar Falls promoting a balanced budget amendment and term limits for Congress.
The audience of about 100 was also promised that when he took office he would declare a national emergency and send the army to the southern border.
According to recent New York Times and Siena College polls, Trump will win Iowa State with 55 percent of the vote in the Republican primary.
DeSantis follows closely with 39 percent — almost double since the polls reached late last month.
Iowa Governor Adam Gregg, far right, also shared a photo of him and his family with DeSantis on his Twitter page
DeSantis talks to attendees at a fundraising event for U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson on Sunday, August 6, 2023 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Republican presidential nominee Florida Governor Ron DeSantis greets guests at Ashley’s BBQ Bash hosted by Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA) on August 6, 2023 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
The pair’s appearance came just days after former President Donald Trump also crashed a wedding.
Videos circulating on social media show the former president crashing Megan Costello and Gerardo Rojas’ ceremony at his gold club in New Jersey to the chant of “USA!”
His appearance at the event came just hours after he was charged at a Washington DC courthouse.
Trump can be seen in what appears to be the same outfit he wore at the courthouse on Thursday, minus the red tie.
The former president walks down a flight of stairs to shake hands with members of a cheering and screaming crowd before grabbing a microphone
Trump had appeared at the wedding of Megan Costello and Gerardo Rojas, his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey
The former president descends a flight of stairs to shake hands with members of a cheering and screaming crowd.
After a chant of “USA!” erupting into the crowd, Trump was seen having a private conversation with a bride and groom before addressing the crowd through the microphone.
He says, “I’ve heard so much about this couple, the bride is really beautiful.”
The crowd’s screams then drown out Trump as he continues to address the bride.
After the video of DeSantis attending a wedding surfaced online, journalist Laura Loomer tweeted, “They are so desperate to be Trump.
This week after his arraignment, Donald Trump showed up at a wedding at his club.
Ron DeSantis desperately wants to be like Trump, but he desperately needs a personality transplant. And that won’t happen soon. He wants to be Trump.”
The latest polls show former President Donald Trump is now more than 38 percent behind DeSantis in his quest to be crowned the Republican nominee in 2024.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the 56th Annual Silver Elephant Gala in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday, August 5
Trump currently leads with 53.3 percent in a recent poll, while DeSantis is second with only 14.3 percent.
It comes after new polls suggest that if an election were held now, Donald Trump would beat incumbent President Joe Biden by five percent.
Their poll, which polled 2,068 registered voters, also showed a broad sense of discontent across the country for both major party candidates, with 70 percent looking for another option.
The majority of those polled also agreed that President Biden was mentally incapable of remaining president.
DeSantis campaign researcher Ryan Tyson disagreed with the poll’s findings, tweeting that the national sample, collected through an internet panel, “is not a likely Republican voter poll using voting history.”