Trump says DeSantis will 'beg for mercy' in Iowa after he once voted to kill a prized ethanol mandate

• Trump slammed Ron DeSantis for previously moving to kill a federal mandate prized by ethanol producers.
• Ethanol is a major industry in the politically important state.

Former President Donald Trump on Friday slammed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over a past move to end a prized ethanol mandate, foreshadowing a likely primary clash to come in Iowa, the state that will kick off the entire process.

"Why on earth (farmer's love earth!) would the wonderful people of the GREAT State of Iowa vote for Ron DeSanctimonious when he voted and fought to KILL Ethanol (and will definitely do so if given the chance) ..." Trump wrote in part in an early morning post on his social media platform, Truth.

DeSantis, Trump concluded, would "beg for mercy" in Iowa. The former president also touted his own policies, including his overhaul of the North American Free Trade Agreement known as the USMCA.

Trump's screed came just before DeSantis made his post-midterm Iowa debut during a Friday afternoon event in Davenport, Iowa, an appearance to ostensibly promote his new bestselling book. In reality, the event and DeSantis' entire book tour provide him an ample opportunity to test out a campaign message before his widely expected announcement later this year. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is not expected to endorse before the Iowa caucuses, introduced DeSantis.

The former president was taking aim at a policy that then-Congressman DeSantis supported. As Insider previously reported, DeSantis, who was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, supported legislation in 2017 that would have immediately ended the Renewable Fuel Standard or RFS. The standard requires specific percentages of renewable fuel to be blended into the nation's fuel supply.

The ethanol industry closely protects the mandate since it effectively subsidizes the industry. Iowa is by far the largest producer of corn-based ethanol, which means that crossing the industry comes with immense political peril since the state is also home to the first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses.

DeSantis did not discuss ethanol policy during his Iowa event, rather he received immense applause for recounting his actions during the pandemic. The governor also recounted his tussle with Disney over a parental rights in education law related to when it's appropriate to teach students about gender identity or sexual orientation.