Republican DeSantis vies with Trump to sway Iowa conservatives

Florida governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a fundraising picnic in Iowa (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Florida governor Ron DeSantis has sought to weaken former president Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party as its leading presidential prospects collided in battleground Iowa.

Mr DeSantis, expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign any day, made little effort to connect with voters one-on-one at a picnic fundraiser in Sioux Centre as several hundred conservatives ate hamburgers.