WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) took aim at former President Donald Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley during a protested televised town hall, one of his last platforms to speak directly to likely Iowa caucusgoers before next week’s opening 2024 Republican primary nominating contest.

Using a question about Trump’s appearance in a federal appeals court Tuesday regarding special counsel Jack Smith‘s election interference case and presidential immunity, DeSantis predicted the “liberal” Washington, D.C., court would “hot-wire” its decision against the former president, but he urged Republican primary voters to consider what that means for the general election.