The former president opted out of an event hosted by Sen. Joni Ernst as eight contenders pressed their case to first-in-nation caucus-goers.
Eight candidates or potential candidates, ranging from well-known political figures like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to relatively unknown
The notable absence of Trump to some extent encapsulated the race more broadly. While Ernst invited Trump, the former president and current GOP front-runner has had little appetite for sharing the spotlight with his primary rivals. A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.DeSantis told reporters: “I’m just happy to be here. I love the people here. I think this is a great event."Some Republican voters said they weren’t surprised that Trump didn’t attend.
Nikki Haley, former U.N. ambassador under Trump, told attendees “it’s time for a new generational leader” and warned: “don’t complain about what you get in a general if you don’t play in this caucus.”Pence stressed that as voters, “we have to resist the politics of personality,” adding that the “siren song of populism unmoored the timeless conservative principles.
GOP presidential candidates are already heavily investing their time in Iowa, home to the first-in-nation caucus. Both Trump and DeSantis made campaign swings here this week, while Sen. Tim Scott held a town hall on Friday in Council Bluffs. And in a sign of how central Iowa will be to his presidential bid, Pence is set to officially announce his White House run in Des Moines next week.A victory in Iowa is no guarantee for Trump, who lost the state to Sen.
“I think we’re still shopping around for candidates,” said Bill Hobson, an attendee from Marshalltown. Holding up a pile of fliers that volunteers had distributed touting various candidates, he said “we’ve got three on the shortlist, there’s Tim, Nikki, and Ron.”“I was a big Trump supporter and I still may be, but I really wanted to hear what everybody else said.
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