Key Iowa Evangelical Rips Trump, Hosts DeSantis for Church

Prominent Iowa evangelical Bob Vander Plaats over the weekend criticized former President Donald Trump while also hosting his top GOP rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for church services.

Vander Plaats reshared comments posted by talk show radio host Steve Deace in a Saturday post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in which Trump is shown making false claims about the 2020 election and the CARES Act.

“This, and more, is why @realDonaldTrump supporters are looking for another candidate,” Vander Plaats wrote. “The facts aren’t lining up with the repetitive rhetoric.”

The post from Vander Plaats came ahead of DeSantis and his wife, Casey DeSantis, joining Vander Plaats and his wife for church on Sunday.

Following that service, Vander Plaat responded to a post from conservative commentator Ted Starnes, saying that people of faith are looking for a different leader in the Republican Party.

"The problem people of Faith have with @realDonaldTrump isn’t Church attendance," Vander Plaats wrote in response to Starnes asking where DeSantis and his family attend church in Florida. "Has everything to do with the ‘fruits of the Spirit.’ For example, F bombs and mocking people with disabilities. You can be a statesman while being a bold leader. #YouWillKnowThemByTheirFruit #LookHigher #ExpectMore"

Vander Plaats is the president and CEO of the Family Leader, a social conservative organization based in Iowa.

A growing rift has developed between Trump and members of evangelical groups, including Vander Plaats, after the former president was not invited to a major evangelical event earlier this year.

As Iowa plays host to the first-in-the-nation caucuses, the large influence of evangelical voters in the state is often considered extremely significant in presidential primary campaigns.

Despite trailing Trump significantly in most polls, DeSantis has gained some traction in Iowa, trailing by just 24 points in a recent survey.