After second place finish in Iowa's caucuses, DeSantis sets sights on South Carolina

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a rally on Tuesday in Greenville, S.C. DeSantis stopped in South Carolina first, after his second place finish in the Iowa caucuses, before heading on to New Hampshire. (Jeffrey Collins/AP)

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The skies above the airplane hangar where Ron DeSantis spoke to a packed crowd in Greenville, S.C., Tuesday morning were muted and gray, but the Florida governor spoke with rays of optimism after his performance in the 2024 Iowa Caucus the night before.

Presidential contenders usually trek straight to New Hampshire, the next state on the nominating calendar, but DeSantis' stop in the Palmetto State was a targeted message to rival Nikki Haley, South Carolina's former governor who finished just behind DeSantis in Monday's contest. The overt part of that message is that he plans to compete — and win — on her home turf.