Influential Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats is doubling down on his disdain for former President Trump and his support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to take the GOP presidential nomination next year.
Vander Plaats, CEO of the Iowa-based Christian conservative group The Family Leader, told the Blaze’s Steve Deace this week that he’s never supported Trump, after the former president went on the attack.
“The number one hurdle for Donald Trump is I’ve never met a dad or a mom or a grandpa or a grandma who have told me they want their son or daughter, grandchild to grow up to be like him,” Vander Plaats said. “That’s a big deal.”
“Iowa will rise up,” he continued. “This is not leadership our country needs.”
Trump, who remains the clear front-runner in the race for the GOP presidential nomination, came out against Vander Plaats soon after he endorsed DeSantis.
Both candidates have been campaigning hard ahead of the Iowa Caucuses in January.
“Bob Vander Plaats, the former High School Accountant from Iowa, will do anything to win, something which he hasn’t done in many years,” Trump wrote over the weekend.
“He’s more known for scamming Candidates than he is for Victory, but now he’s going around using Disinformation from the Champions of that Art, the Democrats,” he added.
The former president’s reelection campaign also sent a fundraising email with the subject line: “Bob Vander Plaat$ Endorses A Candidate Who Will Never Be President.”
The evangelical leader also has not been shy about voicing his disapproval of Trump. He told NewsNation earlier this year that voters were “exhausted and tired,” and he felt it was time to “turn the page.”
NewsNation and The Hill are both owned by Nexstar Media Group.