DeSantis and other candidates to appear with Gov. Reynolds at Iowa State Fair, absent Trump
DES MOINES, Iowa (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis and other 2024 GOP presidential primary candidates accepted invites from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to appear with her at the Iowa State Fair in August.
As reported by Fox News, former President Donald Trump, the perceived frontrunner for the GOP nomination, will not appear.
The Iowa governor will hold “Fair Side Chats” with DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former Vice President Mike Pence.
“I am so proud that I get to have the opportunity to introduce these candidates to Iowans at an event so near and dear to my heart,” Reynolds said in a statement obtained by Fox. “The Iowa State Fair showcases the best of Iowa – from our people to our culture and wonderful agriculture industry – and it’s the perfect venue for a conversation with the candidates.”
The fair will take place Aug. 10 through Aug. 20.
Reynolds’ “chats” will occur at JR’s South Pork Ranch, starting Aug. 10.
Trump recently criticized Reynolds over her not yet endorsing him for president, prompting DeSantis to come to her defense.
“I love Iowa, protected & expanded Ethanol, got 28 Billion Dollars from China for our great Farmers, ended the Estate (Death!) Tax on farms, made the best TRADE deals in history (USMCA, China, & many more), introduced the World to our FARMERS, & kept Iowa’s “First in the Nation” status,” Trump said earlier in July.
“[Reynolds] is a strong leader who knows how to ignore the chirping and get it done,” DeSantis said on social media. “She earned a landslide re-election because she delivered big results, and she is poised to deliver even more for Iowans in the special session.”
Iowa, which will hold its presidential caucus on Jan. 15, 2024, is one of the main targets of the Trump and DeSantis campaigns, largely due to its early voice in the GOP primaries.
Trump is slated to open his official Iowa campaign headquarters in Des Moines on Friday, July 28, his campaign announced.
DeSantis has been campaigning hard in Iowa in recent weeks since his late-May campaign launch, set to embark on a bus tour this week.
According to a press release from DeSantis-supporting super PAC Never Back Down, the governor will be a “special guest” on an Iowa bus tour, running from July 27 to 28.
They said the bus will make stops across South Central Iowa.
“This will be the first of many bus tour stops Never Back Down will host with special guest Gov. DeSantis across IA, NH, SC and other states in the coming weeks,” the super PAC said.
This Thursday and Friday, DeSantis will make stops to host meet and greets and a town hall.
The bus tour for DeSantis comes after the governor’s campaign touted his visiting of eight Iowa counties in “just two days” last week.
Facing nationwide and other state-level polling deficits to former President Donald Trump, DeSantis’ campaign has targeted early states like Iowa and New Hampshire.
