Overview

• Prominent Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats has publicly criticized former President Trump and endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
• Trump has retaliated by accusing Vander Plaats of 'scamming' politicians and insinuating a pay-to-play strategy behind the endorsement.
• Vander Plaats, head of the Iowa-based Christian conservative group The Family Leader, has denied the allegations and defended his endorsement of DeSantis.
• Both Trump and DeSantis have been campaigning hard ahead of the Iowa Caucuses in January, the first contest in the 2024 presidential campaign.
• Vander Plaats has predicted that Iowa voters will 'rise up' against Trump in the caucuses.