Ron DeSantis jabs at Donald Trump in Iowa after tornado warning cancels ex-President's rally

As trucks struggled through muddy, water-logged grass, dismantling "Trump" signs and staging in Des Moines, a smiling Ron DeSantis was taking to the stage in a hotel ballroom elsewhere in Iowa, 120 miles away.

An exclusive report by Rozina Sabur, Telegraph Washington Editor in Iowa.

Donald Trump had hoped to steal the Florida governor's limelight by holding one of his signature rallies in Iowa on the same night his biggest 2024 rival was in the critical first voting state in the presidential party caucuses and primaries.

But with a tornado warning, and lashings of rain, bearing down on his outdoor venue on Saturday, the former president was forced to pull out at the last minute. Mr DeSantis now owned the night.

The 44-year-old governor was quick to press his advantage, telling prospective voters that the Republican Party had to end a “culture of losing” in an implicit jab at Mr Trump.

He appeared relaxed on stage in Cedar Rapids as he teased his 2024 presidential bid, telling the crowd: "I have only begun to fight."

It is as close to a formal declaration as Mr DeSantis has ventured to date. Sources close to the governor say he could announce his bid within a fortnight.

With Mr Trump forced to stay away, Mr DeSantis repeatedly jabbed the Republican frontrunner in subtle digs as he criss-crossed the state on Saturday.

“We must reject the culture of losing that has impacted our party in recent years,” he said as he flipped burgers in an apron and open-necked blue shirt at a fundraiser in the northwest of the state.