2024 showdown: At the Iowa State Fair, Trump and DeSantis court voters as the GOP presidential campaign rivals
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the top contender for the Republican presidential nomination, did not meet face-to-face at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday during separate efforts to woo voters.
Despite their lack of direct interaction, DeSantis has been critical of Trump, who currently has a strong lead in the party’s 2024 nomination race. Supporters of the former president engaged in repeated heckling of the Florida governor as he navigated the fairgrounds. The fair is a key stop for presidential hopefuls as the starting point for the GOP presidential nomination process.
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DeSantis plans to campaign at the State Fair for two weeks on Saturday, aiming to change the narrative after his string of defeats over the past two months. These setbacks led to weeks of negative media coverage, which focused on issues such as campaign overspending, staff layoffs, leadership changes, and other setbacks.
Months before Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially announced his candidacy in late May, former President Donald Trump had already begun targeting DeSantis. On Tuesday, Trump announced that he would attend the same state fair as DeSantis, aiming to overshadow his opponent.
DeSantis highlighted his intensive campaign efforts in the first caucus state, noting that he has already covered 38 of the 99 counties and recently covered six counties in a single day. He emphasized the importance of getting the message straight to the people and noted the positive responses he was getting on the ground.
During a conversation with Kim Reynolds, the Republican governor of Iowa known as the “Fair Side Chats,” DeSantis confronted protesters using whistles to disrupt the conversation. In addition, a plane can “B Like Ron!” Pushed back the banner that said.
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Later, as presidential contenders participated in the tradition of pork chops at the Iowa Pork Producers Association building, DeSantis was met with chants of “We love Trump” from the former president’s supporters gathered nearby. Moments later, the former president’s plane flew over the state fairgrounds, drawing the attention of skyward-looking fairgoers.
Earlier this summer, Donald Trump criticized Governor Reynolds for being neutral in the race for the GOP presidential nomination. Interestingly, Trump was the only Republican candidate in attendance at the fair who did not participate in one of the fair-side chats with the Iowa governor.
When asked by Fox News if Trump was missing an opportunity by not engaging in conversation with Reynolds at the fair, DeSantis slammed his 2024 opponent.
“I believe Donald Trump’s criticisms of Kim Reynolds are completely inappropriate. I can’t disagree with them. She has consistently done exceptionally well and has not had any actions taken against him,” DeSantis expressed.
DeSantis further argued, “It’s just his way of managing to target one of the nation’s best governors. . . . I don’t support these attacks on her. His behavior is completely unjustified, and in the grand scheme of things, I’m satisfied with Kim Reynolds leading the state of Iowa.” “
Donald Trump has not confirmed his participation in the first Republican presidential nomination debate to be hosted by Fox News on August 23 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Asked by Fox News at the State Fair if he would attend the debate, Trump did not respond. Moreover, a few days ago, he stated that he would not sign the Pledge of Allegiance to the Republican National Committee, which is required to qualify for the debate.
“We have already committed to signing a pledge to support the eventual nominee because the goal of reversing the nation’s decline is bigger than any individual,” DeSantis explained to reporters. “I believe I will secure the nomination and we will complete the work together. However, it is important not to deviate from the collective effort. It is not just about himself. It is about being ready to support the collective team.”
Without mentioning Trump by name, DeSantis asserted indirectly, “When someone is unwilling to make that commitment, it indicates that their campaign is driven more by personal interests than a genuine concern for the broader public and the American people… I believe. Every candidate should ultimately commit to supporting the nominee.”
Trump was greeted by supporters as he walked through the fairgrounds. He jokingly downplayed his opponents’ turnout in the GOP presidential nomination race, saying, “The other candidates came here—they were six people,” clearly underestimating the size of his fellow candidates’ audience.
With significant leads over DeSantis and the rest of the Republican contenders in Iowa, as well as other early-voting states and national polls, Trump declared, “We’ll be back. We don’t want to take any chances.”
Along with Trump, nine members of Florida’s congressional delegation have endorsed him, implicitly challenging DeSantis. In response, DeSantis, joined by a dozen Iowa state lawmakers supporting his candidacy, told reporters, “While it’s OK to bring people from Washington, Iowans care more about those in their communities, the people they know and interact with in their daily lives. We’re Iowans. We were able to secure support from nearly 40 legislators from the House and Senate combined. I doubt anyone else has achieved such numbers, especially at this early stage of the caucus process.”
After joining Governor Reynolds, Haley was asked about Trump’s decision not to engage with the Iowa governor in a Fox News Digital interview. She responded, “Donald Trump is free to make his own choice. In my opinion, Kim Reynolds is unmatched as governor. It’s an important decision to align himself with the best governor in the country. It’s unfortunate he’s not involved, but you’ll want to check with him directly.”
In particular, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson, both considered long-shot candidates in the Democratic primary challenging President Biden for the party’s nomination, also drew attention from a sizable group of political journalists in attendance as they moved throughout the fairgrounds.