Republican candidates engage in a busy weekend in Iowa leading up to caucuses
GOP contenders make a final push in Iowa as caucuses near, braving freezing temperatures Trailing candidates face a crucial moment while remembering Perry tragedy and Capitol riot anniversary
The Republican presidential candidates were heavily present in Iowa over the weekend, urging voters to brave the potentially single-digit or even colder temperatures to support them. "You just have to bundle up and go out there," former President Donald Trump encouraged supporters at a community college in Newton, Iowa.
Over the weekend, Iowans and political candidates did not dwell on the third anniversary of the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Instead, GOP contenders highlighted Iowa's significant role in the nomination process and stressed the importance of voter turnout for the January 15 caucuses, which could make or break candidates' momentum in the race.
The unconventional caucus system has produced surprising results in previous elections. Trump's commanding lead in the polls has caused other GOP candidates to downplay their expectations. "Iowa will be the starting point for us, but we're prepared for a tough battle beyond that," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has heavily focused on the Hawkeye State. During his campaign visit to Iowa, Trump launched strong criticisms against his former UN ambassador, Nikki Haley, indicating that his campaign sees her as a bigger threat than DeSantis.
Crunch time for trailing candidates
As the window narrows to take down Trump, supporters of DeSantis and Haley are feeling the heat and hoping their candidates will ramp up attacks on the former president.
During an event in Indianola, Haley was approached by a supporter who expressed a desire for her to directly criticize Trump. However, Haley declined, stating that while she will call out any lies or wrongdoing, she believes that politics should remain personal and the focus should be on addressing issues and getting America back on track.
DeSantis has also been under pressure from his supporters who believe he has been lenient towards the former president. However, at least one self-proclaimed "Trump guy" approved of DeSantis' statements over the weekend.
"After listening to him, I might be swayed. I believe he's dependable. Definitely dependable," Max Willhite of Polk County told CNN after an event in Grimes on Sunday.
Although he wasn't completely sure if he would attend the caucus, he did fill out a commit-to-caucus card for the Florida governor before leaving.
Willhite mentioned that it would be uncommon within his social circle, as all his friends support Trump. Meanwhile, 20-year-old college student Stephen Plom intends to participate in his first caucus and is showing his support for DeSantis, citing the governor's strong track record of leadership.
"Im excited to have someone I can really get behind. Its not like, Oh, whos the lesser evil? Its someone I can really support," he said after hearing DeSantis in Ankeny.
Perry tragedy, Capitol riot anniversary loom over weekend
Saturday marked the third anniversary of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Though not addressing the topic extensively, Trump spoke empathetically on Saturday about the prisoners who were convicted for their involvement in the riot, referring to them as "hostages" and urging President Joe Biden to release them. GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has consistently supported Trump during the campaign, repeated conspiracy theories about the events of that day.
When asked how he would have handled the events as president, DeSantis confidently stated, "I would have won the election and it wouldn't have even been an issue." However, voters were more concerned with issues such as the economy, immigration, health care, and improving school safety without infringing on gun rights following a school shooting in Perry on January 4th.
Upon arriving in Perry for a campaign event on Friday, Ramaswamy shared his experience of learning about the shooting earlier that day in Monticello, Iowa. He described speaking with residents in the aftermath of the shooting as "one of the most meaningful events" of his campaign. Steve Prall, a voter from Polk County, also expressed that school shootings have been a long-standing problem in the country.
Prall, a registered Republican, expressed his belief that Ron DeSantis is someone who will take action. He mentioned voting for a Democrat in the last two presidential elections due to concerns about Trump and expressed confusion over the country's fascination with him. CNN's Kate Sullivan and Aaron Pellish contributed to this report.
