A hit on the spouse of a running mate led to the former president's team, including a sitting congressman, getting the Community Notes treatment of “election fraud” claims.
While former President Donald Trump may exclusively maintain his commentary on Truth Social, his surrogates and supporting PACs readily use X. As such, an effort to misrepresent Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis' call for volunteers to “participate” in the Iowa caucus as a threat. electoral integrity was easily disproved.
On Saturday, the super PAC Make America Great Again Inc., which had spent more than $23 million on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign, released a statement in reaction to remarks made by his spouse after a Mamas for DeSantis event in Iowa.
“Yesterday, Casey DeSantis went on national television and called on voters across the country to 'come down to the state of Iowa to caucus.'” He went on to falsely claim, “You don't have to be an Iowa resident to be able to participate in the caucus,” the post read.
“Statement by Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Make America Great Again Inc: 'Casey DeSantis' accepts voter fraud to save her husband's failed campaign is not only incorrect, but risks compromising the integrity of the Iowa Caucus This kind of irresponsible and desperate rhetoric needs to be addressed by both Ron DeSantis and Gov. Kim Reynolds, who campaigned for election integrity and were elected to protect Iowans' votes. Both Gov. DeSantis like Reynolds must reject and condemn these comments and apologize to the great people of Iowa!
The community note wasn't far behind, linking to a post the Florida first lady had made the day before with a clip of her comments while speaking with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum. The note read: “Casey DeSantis made it clear in his statement that voting in the Iowa caucus is limited to registered voters in Iowa. 'Participating' in the Iowa caucus is not limited to voting, and includes volunteer work, as he also states.”
DeSantis herself had posted: “Although voting in the Iowa caucus is limited to registered voters in Iowa, there is a way for others to participate. I am calling on mothers and grandmothers across the country to come as to volunteers in support of Ron DeSantis in the Iowa caucus,” he added with a link to the campaign site for volunteers to “sign up to participate!”
We've created a national coalition of mothers mobilizing to help choose @RonDeSantis: Breasts by DeSantis.
Although voting in the Iowa caucus is limited to registered voters in Iowa, there is a way for others to participate. Calling mothers and grandmothers everywhere… pic.twitter.com/vlVLIHiiUF
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) December 8, 2023
The super PAC wasn't alone in smearing DeSantis' statements, as Florida Rep. Greg Steube, an active supporter of the Trump campaign, had run with the same angle X hours after Leavitt's statement.
“Last night, the spouse of a presidential candidate encouraged out-of-state residents to participate in the Iowa caucus. The Iowa GOP responded by making it abundantly clear that the Iowa caucus is only for Iowans. Posting this so #FL17 and Florida residents aren't confused by your comments,” he wrote.
The post earned Steube his own community note, as well as a call from Team DeSantis Rapid Response Director Christina Pushaw, who noted his own appearance alongside congressional colleagues at Iowa for Trump: “Oh, give me a break. Congressman Steube: YOU know anyone can volunteer in the Iowa caucus if you want to help a campaign. You actually went to Iowa to campaign for Trump.”
Oh, give me a break. Congressman Steube: YOU know that anyone can volunteer in the Iowa caucus if you want to help a campaign. You actually already went to Iowa to campaign for Trump. https://t.co/RcJaL8GLac pic.twitter.com/pTcSQd48cl
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) December 9, 2023
How it had been reportedthe president's brief appearance at the Iowa State Fair had included Steube, Florida Reps. Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, Cory Mills and Mike Waltz, as well as Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt.
This summer, Trump flew his delegation from Florida to Iowa to volunteer at the Iowa State Fair. One of these members was @gregsteube in the image below, Steube is now attacking @CaseyDeSantis with LIES to do the exact same thing. #DeSantis2024 #ambDeSantis pic.twitter.com/JUchwak5TO
— KRYSTAL in FL (@MsBradsher) December 9, 2023
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A native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College, where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and seeker of truth, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and dog, and when he's not researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel ·the.
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