During a campaign rally in Iowa, the Republican candidates for the 2024 presidential election made their first public appearance together on stage. Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s top competitors, were the featured speakers at their annual Lincoln Dinner fundraiser.
Each of the 13 contenders was allowed 10 minutes to speak during the occasion. Even as his legal troubles worsen, polls suggest that Mr. Trump is still ahead of his competitors.
He argued that he is only facing a slew of criminal and civil allegations because he is the only candidate who can win the election next year. Even if he is found guilty, Mr. Trump has already vowed he will still seek the presidency.
In the large ballroom, there were more than 1,200 individuals, all of whom would significantly impact the Republican nominee. Although many claimed to be undecided about their vote, there was no shortage of Trump bumper stickers in the crowd.
Watching the many contenders engage with one another was not amusing. Each got their backstage suite from which they emerged to give their ten-minute address. They didn’t even need to interact with one another.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s barnstorming performance, which is exactly what he needed to do if he was going to break through, had the audience roaring with applause. Will Hurd’s performance won’t be forgotten quickly but for all the wrong reasons. The crowd looked astonished when he said that Donald Trump was running for president to avoid going to jail.
The rest of his words were almost completely drowned out by raucous jeers and clinking silverware, with one man yelling, “Go home.” He had lost track of the space.
The event on Friday comes a day after further accusations were made against Mr. Trump for allegedly handling classified information improperly.
The former president is the front-runner for the Republican nomination. However, federal prosecutors have expanded their criminal investigation into him due to how he handled official papers after leaving office.
A FiveThirtyEight average of opinion polls shows that Mr. Trump is leading the Republican field with 52.4% support, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 15.5% and everyone else with less than 10%.
Donald Trump might soon face charges in Washington for allegedly trying to rig the 2020 election. He has refuted every accusation. Voters will start narrowing the field of presidential candidates in each state until just one from each major party is left standing to run in the November 2024 election in Iowa.
On Friday, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, and former Vice President Mike Pence attended the ceremony. However, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie chose not to attend and instead went to New Hampshire.
Since last Thursday, Mr. DeSantis has been in Iowa. He has promised to ultimately travel to each of Iowa’s 99 counties to improve his local and national standing.
The governor of Florida has come under fire for the new educational requirements adopted for middle schools in his state, especially from Republicans.
The 200-page curriculum’s statement that enslaved people acquired practical skills that “could be applied to their benefit” has stirred some debate.
One of three black Republicans running for president in 2024, Mr. Scott, told reporters on Thursday that the actual purpose of slavery was to split up families, mutilate people, and even rape their wives.
Simply put, it was heartbreaking. Therefore, I hope everyone in our nation will value it, including those running for president. Local Iowan public opinion polls suggest that Mr. Scott may be gaining ground.
A political dispute recently caused Mr. Trump to lose a supporter in the crucial state of Iowa. A few days after Mr. Trump criticized Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds for keeping neutral in the 2024 election, an Iowa state senator voted to support Mr. DeSantis.
How often have we clenched our teeth and shaken our heads at some of the former president’s statements? NPR was told by Jeff Reichman. Source