内华达州的加德内尔维尔-佛罗里达州州长。罗恩·德桑蒂斯周六谴责了华特·迪士尼世界和美国司法部——不是他的主要共和党对手，唐纳德·特朗普——他在特朗普国家的心脏地带向内华达州的共和党人示好。
这位共和党州长说，美国“脱轨了”。"精神错乱是至高无上的。"
作为总统候选人，德桑蒂斯首次向内华达州共和党人发表讲话，他没有直接提到对特朗普的联邦起诉，特朗普因不当处理机密文件而面临数十项重罪指控。
“我们将一劳永逸地结束政府的武器化，”德桑蒂斯说，他穿着一件没有褶裥的短袖衬衫，站在用干草和牛角装饰的讲台上。
这些评论发表之际，共和党拥挤的2024年总统班正在努力应对特朗普最近的起诉。虽然一些共和党人对这些指控提出了严重关切，但德桑蒂斯基本上无视这一情况，只是通过攻击司法部来泛泛地触及这一问题。
在许多民调中仰望特朗普，不清楚德桑蒂斯是否能通过回避竞选中的一个主导问题来抓住特朗普。
这场辩论正在进行，因为德桑蒂斯向2000多名保守派示好，其中许多是特朗普的忠实拥护者，他们在内华达州西部的一个牧场聚集在烈日下参加一年一度的巴斯克油炸食品。
德桑蒂斯的团队认为，他尤其有能力在内华达州与特朗普竞争，内华达州是明年初举行总统初选的首批四个州之一。
除了像他的“对沃克的战争”这样的问题，德桑蒂斯还希望从与共和党高层领导人的密切个人关系中受益。前州司法部长、周六聚会的主持人亚当·拉克索尔特(Adam Laxalt)是德桑蒂斯在海军军官培训期间的室友，并且一直是朋友。尽管在2020年期间担任特朗普的内华达州主席选举拉克索尔特已经成为了德桑蒂斯全国超级政治行动委员会的主席，支持这位佛罗里达州州长。
“我相信州长德桑蒂斯是美国唯一能够赢得初选和大选的人，是我们所有人的保守派战士，”拉克萨尔特在介绍德桑蒂斯时说。
尽管他很乐观，但周六尚不清楚在这个关键的西部州有多少共和党选民被说服放弃特朗普。当早期的发言者试图将德桑蒂斯视为共和党在2024年的最大希望时，只有零星的礼貌性掌声。
来自内华达州斯巴克斯附近的共和党选民唐·法特(Don Fautt)表示，只有特朗普不在选票上，他才会在即将到来的初选中支持德桑蒂斯。
“特朗普是唯一能进去解决问题的人，”法特坚持说。“我厌倦了他的嘴，但我要告诉你:他是一个战士。他会反抗的。这就是我们需要的。”
一旦登上舞台，德桑蒂斯就强调他愿意与所有政治对手斗争，尤其是迪士尼。
他告诉内华达州的观众，这个儿童娱乐巨头正在“支持未成年人的性化”。
佛罗里达州州长和佛罗里达州娱乐巨头之间的不和始于去年，此前该公司面临巨大压力，公开反对关于低年级性取向和性别认同课程的立法，批评者称之为“不要说同性恋”。
作为惩罚，德桑蒂斯通过立法者通过的立法接管了迪士尼世界的管辖区，并任命了新的监事会。
德桑蒂斯是在Laxalt的年度巴斯克油炸食品会上发表讲话的，这是一个模仿前内华达州总检察长的祖父，美国参议员保罗·拉克索尔特举办的野餐会的活动，他是一个巴斯克移民牧羊人的儿子。
近年来，这项活动已经成为共和党总统巡回赛的一个关键站，吸引了希望通过品尝当地美食来提升自己的白宫雄心和赢得选民喜爱的新星。与爱荷华州博览会上的猪排和黄油雕塑不同，巴斯克油炸食品包括豆类、香肠，以及——对于那些足够大胆的人来说——该活动的标志性油炸羊肉睾丸。
登上舞台之前，德桑蒂斯在一个大谷仓里与贵宾和活动赞助商度过了一个下午的大部分时间。他的妻子凯西(Casey)在她的孩子们玩充气公牛后，在谷仓外与与会者聊天。
来自卡森市的退休人员卡琳·雷德(Carlene Rader)表示，她倾向于德桑蒂斯，而不是特朗普。她说，她对联邦检察官上周概述的对特朗普的指控感到特别不安。起诉书指控这位前总统犯有37项重罪——许多是根据《间谍法》——指控他在佛罗里达州的Mar-a-Lago度假村非法储存机密文件，并试图向要求取回这些文件的调查人员隐瞒这些文件。
“他做了很多他不应该做的事情，”雷德说特朗普。“特朗普已经过了他的时代。我更喜欢德桑蒂斯一点。”
DeSantis quiet on Trump indictment as he faces conservatives in Trump country
GARDNERVILLE, Nevada -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Saturday condemned Walt Disney World and the U.S. Justice Department — not his chief Republican rival, Donald Trump — as he courted Nevada Republicans deep in the heart of Trump country.
The U.S. “is off the rails,” the Republican governor said. “Insanity is reigning supreme.”
Speaking to Nevada Republicans for the first time as a presidential candidate, DeSantis made no direct mention of the federal indictment of Trump, who is facing dozens of felony counts for mishandling classified documents.
“We’re going to end this weaponization of government once and for all,” said DeSantis, donning an untucked short-sleeve shirt from a podium adorned with bales of hay and bull horns.
The comments come as the GOP's crowded 2024 presidential class grapples with how to respond to Trump's recent indictment. While some Republicans have raised serious concerns about the charges, DeSantis has largely ignored the situation, touching on it only generally by attacking the Justice Department.
Looking up at Trump in many polls, it's unclear if DeSantis can catch Trump by avoiding one of the dominant issues in the race.
The debate was playing out as DeSantis courted more than 2,000 conservatives, many Trump loyalists among them, who gathered for an annual Basque Fry under a blazing sun at a western Nevada ranch.
DeSantis' team believes he is especially well-positioned to compete with Trump in Nevada, one of the first four states to host a presidential primary contest early next year.
Beyond issues like his “war on woke," DeSantis also hopes to benefit from a close personal connection with a top Republican leader. Adam Laxalt, a former state attorney general and host of Saturday’s gathering, was a roommate of DeSantis during naval officer training and has long remained a friend. Despite serving as Trump’s Nevada chairman during the 2020 election, Laxalt already lined up behind the Florida governor by becoming the chairman of DeSantis’ national super PAC.
“I believe Gov. DeSantis is the only person in America who can win the primary and the general and be a conservative warrior for all of us,” Laxalt said as he introduced DeSantis.
Despite his optimism, it was unclear on Saturday how many Republican voters in this pivotal western state were convinced to abandon Trump. There was only a smattering of polite applause as the early speakers tried to cast DeSantis as the GOP's best hope in 2024.
Don Fautt, a Republican voter from nearby Sparks, Nevada, said he would support DeSantis in the upcoming primary only if Trump were not on the ballot.
“Trump is the only guy who can go in and fix things," Fautt insisted. “I get tired of his mouth, but I'll tell you what: He's a warrior. He'll fight. That's what we need.”
Once he took the stage, DeSantis played up his willingness to fight any and all political opponents — especially Disney.
He told his Nevada audience that the children’s entertainment giant is “supporting the sexualization of minors.”
The feud between the Florida governor and the Florida entertainment giant started last year after the company, in the face of significant pressure, publicly opposed legislation concerning lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades that critics called “Don’t Say Gay.”
As punishment, DeSantis took over Disney World’s governing district through legislation passed by lawmakers and appointed a new board of supervisors.
DeSantis was speaking out at Laxalt’s annual Basque Fry, an event modeled after cookouts hosted by the former Nevada attorney general’s grandfather, U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt — the son of a Basque immigrant sheepherder.
In recent years, the event has emerged as a key stop on the Republican presidential circuit, drawing rising stars who hoped to boost their White House ambitions and endear themselves to voters through sampling the local fare. Unlike the pork chops and butter sculptures of the Iowa State Fair, the cuisine at the Basque Fry includes beans, chorizo and — for those daring enough — the event’s signature fried lamb testicles.
DeSantis spent much of the afternoon in a large barn with VIPs and event sponsors before taking the stage. His wife, Casey, chatted with attendees outside the barn after her children played on the inflatable bull.
Carlene Rader, a retiree from Carson City, said she's leaning toward DeSantis over Trump. She said she's particularly upset about the allegations against Trump outlined by federal prosecutors last week. The indictment charged the former president with 37 felony counts — many under the Espionage Act — that accuse him of illegally storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, and trying to hide them from investigators who demanded them back.
“He's done a lot of things that he shouldn't have done,” Rader said of Trump. “Trump's had his time. I like DeSantis a little better.”
