Presidential candidates flocked to the 2023 Iowa State Fair. Here's what they said
Stump speeches took place at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox, while Gov. Kim Reynolds also interviewed candidates at her new "Fair-Side Chats."
The Iowa State Fair was held Aug. 10 - Aug. 20 this year. Political candidates routinely use the fair as an opportunity to connect with Iowans. This year, campaigns were ramping up ahead of the 2024 caucuses.
Will Hurd blames Trump for weakening Republican control in federal government
Republican presidential candidate Will Hurd says former President Donald Trump is to blame for Republicans’ recent defeats at the federal level.
The former Texas congressman and CIA officer spoke to the crowd at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox for about six minutes before taking questions.
He spoke about China, the fentanyl crisis, the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and Trump, who he blames for weakening Republican control in the federal government.
“Donald Trump lost the House in 2018. He lost the Senate and the White House in 2020, and he prevented a red wave from happening in 2022.”
Hurd did not comment on Trump’s recent indictments for his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election, but stated he believes Trump lost that election, which was met by cheers from the crowd.
Hurd also said fentanyl should be treated as a weapon of mass destruction in order to curb the current overdose crisis.
Hurd’s previous district ran along the U.S. - Mexico border, where mass quantities of illicit fentanyl are being smuggled into the country.
Tim Scott says he’ll increase competition between schools to improve them if elected
South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott says if he becomes president, he’ll promote programs to increase competition in K-12 education.
Scott was the latest Republican presidential candidate to join Gov. Kim Reynolds on stage at the Iowa State Fair for her new “Fair-Side Chats.”
Scott praised Reynolds for signing into law one of the broadest voucher-style programs in the country, which made state-funded accounts available to pay private school tuition.
“I believe in public schools. I also believe in competition, and so I want competition to improve our public schools. I don’t care whether it’s a public school, a private school, a charter school, a virtual school or a home school — give parents the choice and their kids get a better chance.”
Scott also said the federal government should do more to support local law enforcement agencies. He says increasing federal support for local law enforcement is part of his national security strategy, and if he wins the White House, he says he’ll push to grow federal funding toward local police departments five-fold, while also increasing support for training and recruiting new officers.
Scott struck a different tone when asked by reporters about the latest charges against Trump in Georgia, where the former president is accused of attempting to alter the results of the state’s presidential vote. He said the legal system is being "weaponized" and stood by previous statements, in which he claimed the charges against Trump are politically motivated.
"I’ll just continue to say it as I see it, which is that we see the legal system being weaponized against political opponents. That is un-American and unacceptable."
When pressed on the details of the indictment, including a call asking the Georgia Secretary of State to find votes, Scott said he draws a different conclusion on whether it warrants charges.
Texas pastor, Republican Ryan Binkley says his presidential campaign is picking up momentum
Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley says while he’s trailing many candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign is building momentum.
Speaking to a smaller crowd, Binkley pitched his faith and business experience to Iowa State fairgoers attending the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox on Saturday.
Binkley told attendees that care reform, U.S. debt, immigration and faith are core tenets of his campaign. He also said he hopes to reach out to people the Republican party isn't reaching, like people in the inner city and college students.
“It would be impossible to do this if I don’t connect to the most difficult parts of America and who’s not hearing us. We’ve got some barriers we need to break to win. In order to change America we need to have a cultural movement.”
Binkley currently isn’t placing in the majority of national polls for the Republican nomination. He told reporters he’s currently 15,000 donors short of meeting the requirements to participate in the first Republican presidential debate later this month. However, he said he’s confident he’ll participate in the debate based on incoming new donations.
Entrepreneur, Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswami pitches himself as next wave of MAGA
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy asked Iowa voters for their support at the Iowa State Fair over the weekend, pitching himself as the next wave of the “Make America Great Again Movement.”
A large crowd gathered to hear the Ohio-based entrepreneur’s pitch to be the Republican party’s nominee for the 2024 election at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox on Saturday afternoon.
Ramaswami called for deep cuts to government agencies — including eliminating the FBI in its entirety — reform to the Department of Education, a nationwide bolstering of capitalism and for the country to burn more coal.
“I don’t believe in incremental reform, I believe in revolution. I stand for revolution. We will shut down the FBI. That’s how you drain the source of the actual problem.”
Ramaswami currently trails Trump and fellow presidential hopeful, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to nationwide polls, but leads all other Republican candidates for president.
Conservative radio host Larry Elder says nomination isn’t out of reach
Republican presidential hopeful and radio host Larry Elder says he still believes he can win the Republican nomination, despite not placing in any nationwide polls.
The longtime conservative radio personality took to the stage at the Iowa State Fair last Friday in hopes of winning over fairgoers at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox. He pitched himself to voters as a “MAGA Republican,” speaking at length about an epidemic of “fatherless homes” in the U.S.
Elder compared his run for the Republican nomination to former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign when asked about the low expectations surrounding his campaign.
“There’s a long way to go between now and the first vote, which is here in Iowa on Jan. 15, and a longer way to go before the first vote in November of 2024.”
The Trump-DeSantis rivalry was on full display over first Iowa State Fair weekend
Former President Donald Trump and his main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, competed for votes at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday.
Hundreds of fairgoers flocked to see Trump as he made his way through the fairgrounds. He visited the pork tent, the animal learning center and a popular restaurant on the main concourse. He brought a dozen Florida U.S. House members, a shot at DeSantis.
Trump skipped participating in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' public interviews with candidates, called “Fair-Side Chats.” The former president has been critical of Reynolds for not endorsing him.
DeSantis spoke with Reynolds in the morning and did not mention Trump directly.
“We need to win the election. The time for excuses for Republicans is over. We must get the job done in 2024.”
DeSantis was drowned out at times by protesters during his speech — some banging cowbells and blowing whistles — who were removed from his appearance with the governor. Supporters of the former president chanted “we love Trump” as the Florida governor flipped pork burgers, a reminder of the commanding lead Trump holds in the race, despite several indictments.
Haley says Republican party needs to expand its base to win popular vote
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she doubts her party will be able to pass a federal ban on abortion. At the Iowa State Fair last Friday, she said the party needs to stop demonizing women who seek abortions.
Haley pointed out to a crowd gathered at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox that to pass a federal ban, Republicans need a majority of votes in the House and 60 votes in the Senate – and she says they haven’t had that many Senate votes in more than 100 years.
She says two parties need to find consensus.
“Can’t we all agree that we shouldn’t have late-term abortions? Can’t we all agree that we should encourage more adoptions and good quality adoptions? Can’t we all agree that contraceptives should be accessible?”
She also says there should be agreement that women who get abortions should not be prosecuted. Haley said she personally opposes abortion rights, but doesn’t judge individuals who support them.
Haley also said her party needs to work harder to expand its base. An audience member asked how the GOP could attract more independent voters, and Haley pointed out that Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections.
“We should be pulling on Hispanics, we should be pulling on Asians, we should be pulling on African Americans, we should be pulling on women, we should be pulling on the younger generation. And you go and ask them what they care about, and guess what? We agree on a lot of things. What they’re upset with is how Republicans are communicating.”
Haley didn’t mention any names, but says Republicans need to leave negativity, chaos and drama behind and turn to a new generation of leaders for the party.
Williamson, Kennedy court support at the fair
The Democratic Party is not planning any presidential candidate debates ahead of the 2024 primary season, but two candidates were at the State Fair on Saturday looking for voters’ support.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Marianne Williamson both called for canceling student loan debt and doing more to help people meet basic needs in their turns at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox.
Williamson says the U.S. faces numerous economic, climate and security threats – and says the country is in a “ditch.”
“The idea that the only people qualified to drive us out of this ditch are people who know how to maintain and perpetuate the system that drove us into this ditch is increasingly absurd.”
Kennedy pointed out the U.S. seems to have plenty of money to aid Ukraine and bail out big banks, but not enough to help average Americans.
Kennedy says he’s against a proposed carbon capture pipeline in Iowa and nearby states. He called it “just a subsidy for the carbon industry.” He also says the possibility that pipeline companies could use eminent domain for their projects would be an improper use of that power.
Real Clear Politics average of polls shows Kennedy with roughly 15% support among likely voters, with Williamson in single digits. She has called on the national party to schedule debates before the primaries.
Perry Johnson says he would ‘shut down’ the U.S. Department of Education if elected president
Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson says if he controlled the White House, one of his first actions would be to “shut down” the U.S. Department of Education.
The vast majority of spending on education comes from local and state sources. Federal K-12 spending largely goes toward programs that support low-income students and students with disabilities.
Johnson has said federal funding comes with too many requirements placed on schools.
He told fairgoers at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair that states should be left to decide the right way to spend it.
“So what I’m going to do is get rid of 4,300 of those 4,400 people, and we’re going to then ship the money directly to the states and they distribute it.”
Johnson also promoted his “2 cents” plan, which he has made the center of his campaign. The plan involves reducing the federal debt by cutting discretionary spending by 2% each year.
Suarez says he could appeal to swing voters in presidential race
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has been polling at less than 1% for the GOP presidential nomination, but at the Iowa State Fair he told potential voters that if he is the eventual nominee, he would give the Republican Party a unique path to the White House.
Suarez says as the 45-year-old leader of a major city, and a Cuban American, he could appeal to swing voters in the presidential race.
“If you want to find a candidate who can win young voters, urban voters, Hispanic voters, win the GOP presidency -- not just in ’24, but a generation -- there isn’t a better candidate available.”
Suarez spoke at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox.
Suarez has met the required number of donors to qualify for the first Republican debate later this month, but is not yet polling high enough to make the stage.
Pence says GOP voters should pick a new party leader
Former Vice President Mike Pence made a visit to the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, where he asked Republican voters to give careful consideration to who they support in the 2024 Iowa caucuses.
Pence did not directly mention former President Donald Trump, who holds a wide lead according to polls. But, Pence said, the GOP should choose new leadership to present the party’s conservative values in the presidential election.
“I believe the American people not only long for us to return to conservative principles, but they also long for us to restore a threshold of civility in public life.”
Pence took several questions during his appearance. One man asked why Pence “committed treason” on Jan. 6. Some supporters of Trump consider Pence disloyal for overseeing the electoral vote count.
Pence did not name Trump directly, but responded that he obeyed what the Constitution requires despite pressure from the former president and his attorneys.
“I mean, look, there’s almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could pick the American president. The American presidency belongs to the American people and the American people alone.”
Pence spoke on the first day of the fair at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox. He will also appear with Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday morning as part of her series of “Fair-Side Chats” with GOP presidential candidates.
Republican Doug Burgum says he would de-emphasize electric, lean into ethanol in nation’s energy policy if elected president
Republican North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told voters at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday that if he wins the presidential election, the first thing he’ll do is change the nation’s direction on energy policy.
Burgum criticized President Joe Biden for incentivizing electric vehicles, a key part of the administration’s strategy to combat climate change.
Speaking at the Des Moines Register Soapbox, Burgum said the U.S. should make the most of oil and ethanol production in states like North Dakota and Iowa instead of playing catch-up with China to build an EV battery industry.
“What do we have in Iowa? What do we have in America? We feed the world, we fuel the world. This is the powerhouse economy we have. We do not have to be in second place to China on anything.”
Burgum has called for his state to be carbon-neutral by 2030 and is a supporter of proposed pipelines that would capture and store carbon dioxide from ethanol production.
He said that as president, he would cut federal regulations to speed up growth in the U.S economy. Burgum was in business before he got into politics and helped build an accounting software company that was eventually sold to Microsoft for $1 billion.
As a two-term governor, he says removing government rules and regulations has been one of his top priorities.
He said his experience in both the public and private sectors is something that sets him apart in the crowded field of GOP candidates.
“In North Dakota we say one thing over and over, it’s ‘Innovation, not regulation.’ Innovation built this country and that built our economy, and we need to get our economy going because we’re in a cold war with China.”
Burgum is one of eight candidates so far who have qualified to appear at the first Republican debate in Milwaukee later this month.