Home | WebMail | Register or Login

      Calgary | Regions | Local Traffic Report | Advertise on Action News | Contact

Posted: 2023-11-28T10:04:29Z | Updated: 2023-11-28T12:37:18Z

An influential Christian evangelical figure in a key state delivered a stern warning to Donald Trump ahead of next years battle for the Republican presidential nomination.

I believe Iowa will rise up, Bob Vander Plaats , head of the Iowa-based Family Leader, told The Blaze host Steve Deace. I believe Iowa will send a message on January 15 cuz I think theyre seeing through this as well. This is smoke and mirrors. This is not leadership our country needs.

On Jan. 15, Iowa will hold its caucuses, the first contest in the 2024 presidential campaign.

Vander Plaats endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week, which triggered a tirade by Trump on his Truth Social website. The former president called it a useless endorsement and accused him of scamming candidates.

Over the weekend, Vander Plaats fired back by calling Trump a chump and making a golden showers reference. On Monday, he said Trumps character is being revealed and voters have noticed.

The No. 1 hurdle for Donald Trump is Ive never met a dad or a mom or a grandpa or grandma who have told me they want their son or daughter or grandchild to grow up to be like him, he said. Thats a big deal.

Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats BLASTS Trump's character: \"The number one hurdle for Donald Trump is I've never met a dad or a mom or a grandpa or grandma who have told me they want their son or daughter or grandchild to grow up to be like him.\" pic.twitter.com/sEIGXIajYx

Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) November 27, 2023","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Republican Accountability","author_url":"https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP","cache_age":86400,"description":"Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats BLASTS Trump's character: \"The number one hurdle for Donald Trump is I've never met a dad or a mom or a grandpa or grandma who have told me they want their son or daughter or grandchild to grow up to be like him.\" pic.twitter.com/sEIGXIajYx Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) November 27, 2023\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Republican Accountability on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1729235104327688247","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{"fonts":{"primary":{},"accent":{},"caption":{}}},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"65659d0ee4b05f498ba1b226","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/bob-vander-plaats-trump-iowa_n_65659d0ee4b05f498ba1b226","entryTagsList":"donald-trump,ron-desantis,iowa,bob-vander-plaats,steve-deace,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"media,us-news,religion","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/3731dfb4-0d89-4ff5-807b-64c499b66000/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":9},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"65659d0ee4b05f498ba1b226","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"Ron DeSantis","slug":"ron-desantis","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/ron-desantis","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/ron-desantis","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/ron-desantis"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Ron DeSantis","slug":"ron-desantis","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/ron-desantis"},{"name":"Iowa","slug":"iowa","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/iowa","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/iowa","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/iowa"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"Iowa","slug":"iowa","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/iowa"},{"name":" bob vander plaats","slug":"bob-vander-plaats","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/bob-vander-plaats","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/bob-vander-plaats","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/bob-vander-plaats"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/bob-vander-plaats"},{"name":"Steve Deace","slug":"steve-deace","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/steve-deace","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/steve-deace","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/steve-deace"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/steve-deace"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n","
\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats BLASTS Trump's character: "The number one hurdle for Donald Trump is I've never met a dad or a mom or a grandpa or grandma who have told me they want their son or daughter or grandchild to grow up to be like him." pic.twitter.com/sEIGXIajYx

Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) November 27, 2023

Vander Plaats says he has never endorsed Trump, although he did write an op-ed in October 2020 encouraging Christians to back him.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost

This year, however, he has been increasingly critical of the former president, calling him out over the summer for F bombs and mocking people with disabilities.

Hes also predicted before that Iowa could be a make-or-break state for Trump.

Iowa is tailor-made to upend Trump, Vander Plaats said in September . If he loses Iowa, theres a competitive nomination process. If he wins Iowa, I think its over.

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.

Support HuffPost