It's the Iowa State Fair, and Donald Trump's campaign staff is cheering for fellow Republican Kari Lake, the former Republican nominee who grew up in Iowa for governor of Arizona, is spotted with a cow in the barn Photo: Rachel Mummy/Bloomberg
Connie Adkisson doesn't like politicians very much, but she expects to meet her presidents before voting for them.
For more than six decades, she has met practically with by every White House candidate for Iowa, starting with John F. Kennedy.
Ronald Reagan was her favorite. Donald Trump may be in second place.
She met both men at the Iowa State Fair, which offers more than a million visitors the chance to sample not only deep-fried treats but would-be Oval Office occupants.
Virtually every 2024 Republican candidate is expected to show up over the next two weeks, mingling with voters among farm animals and standing on hay bales to deliver their speech.
The two leading contenders, Trump and Ron DeSantis, will both be in attendance on Saturday.
Despite his legal troubles, Mr. Trump remains the overwhelming leader in the state's Republican election in January and is expected to abstain from of traditional retail politicking.
>He travels with nine Florida legislators who backed him over Mr. DeSantis, in less than a subtle mockery of a Florida governor who burned through money and lost ground in polls.
Other candidates are expected. spending time frying pork chops and answering questions from voters.
As the first state to vote for a Republican presidential candidate, Iowa will play a critical role in shaping the outcome.
Iowans take it seriously belong to their status as the first in the country. Many attendees at the Des Moines fair intend to listen to several candidates before choosing who to support at the meeting next January.
Former Vice President President Mike Pence and Senator Joni Ernst (left) of Iowa eat ice cream at the Iowa State Fair. Credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/Reuters
Ms Adkisson, a retired child volunteer, voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020. inclined to do it again in 2024.
She thinks the criminal charges against him are “ridiculous” and won't stop him.
However, she is willing to hold a fair hearing for every candidate who appears in Iowa. “I want to know what my options are,” she said.
Florida Governor Mr. DeSantis, in her opinion, does not have “enough experience”, but still seems “quite yourself.” .
But she was impressed by Vivek Ramaswami, a 36-year-old multimillionaire founder of a biotech company. “She has a lot of great ideas,” she said.
She is among dozens of people who sat at picnic tables Friday in the grueling 30-degree heat to listen to candidates engage in honest conversations with popular Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Friday's lineup was Mike. Pence, former Vice President of the United States.
Cloosely dressed in jeans, cowboy boots and a plaid shirt, Mr. Pence told the crowd that he was running to ensure the American dream was “alive and well.”< /p>
But few in the crowd were delighted. A man dressed from head to toe in a red, white and blue American flag sat in the front row without a smile. It's not just politics. A rider shoots blanks during a cowboy shooting competition at the Iowa State Fair on Friday. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Others sat and listened intently, but their red TRUMP baseball caps showed an uphill battle as Mr. Pence faces his former boss.
Nathaniel Gavronsky, 41, wearing a white Trump T-shirt, said he had met Pence several times and had friendly chats with the former vice president as he left the stage.
Mr Gavronsky told The Telegraph. : “I have no problem with Mike Pence. But we have disagreements,” particularly over Mr. Pence’s support for Ukraine’s armament.
Later, as Mr. Pence wandered around the diner to introduce himself to voters, some patrons didn’t even bother to turn their heads. to thank the former vice president.
Also walking the circle was Francis Suarez, mayor of Miami. Mr. Suarez said he had a unique advantage: the ability to attract Hispanic, young, and urban voters—the three “primary constituencies” of Democrats.
He told The Telegraph he planned to defeat Mr. Trump, ” offering voters something else.”
“And I think that this is my candidacy,” he said. “I am someone with a track record. I have a positive vision for the future to ensure prosperity for as many Americans as possible.”
Also Friday in Iowa, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis performing in Harlan. It is very difficult for him to defeat Donald Trump in the Republican caucuses. Photo: SCOTT MORGAN/REUTERS. He lost his job as a call center manager during the pandemic, so economic policy should be taken into account.
But overall, Mr. Alatorre is looking for a change. “I really need someone who will be a strong opposition to Trump, to be honest,” he said.
As for Ms. Adkisson, no candidate has yet matched her favorite, Mr. Reagan.
She insists she knows Trump's shortcomings. But she says, “I will not vote for the pastor of my church. I vote for the leader of the free world. And I want someone with the guts to say it like it is.”
First of all, Trump is “a businessman, not a politician,” she added. “I can't vote for another politician.”
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