Overview

• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a GOP presidential hopeful, criticized former President Donald Trump's stance on abortion during a CNN town hall in Iowa, accusing him of inconsistency and 'flip-flopping'.
• DeSantis also criticized Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that shutting down the country and printing trillions of dollars were huge mistakes.
• The Florida governor expressed support for Republicans demanding border security changes in exchange for aid to Ukraine, and stressed the importance of aiding Israel over supplying Ukraine with more funding.
• DeSantis targeted Nikki Haley, former South Carolina governor and another GOP presidential hopeful, calling her reflective of the 'old, failed Republican establishment'.
• Despite his criticisms, DeSantis remains in second place behind Trump in most national polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.