Trump, DeSantis, 2024 GOP candidates meet in Iowa for Lincoln Dinner
Nearly every Republican presidential candidate, including former President Donald Trump, will be in Iowa Friday night for the party’s Lincoln Dinner.
It’s an opportunity for candidates who aren’t named Trump to gain some traction.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a distant second to Trump in the polls, met with voters and donors during several campaign stops Tuesday.
It’s been somewhat of a tough week for the second-ranked Republican presidential candidate. Allegedly earlier this week, DeSantis laid off 38 members of his campaign team, representing roughly a third of his campaign operation, in what people are calling a major reset for the DeSantis camp.
In some of the latest 2024 Iowa Republican caucus polling from Fox Businessfrom mid-July, Trump has a commanding lead, with 46% of Iowa Republican caucus-goers saying they’d caucus for him. Just 16% said they’d support DeSantis, while 11% say they support Sen. Tim Scott. Pretty much everyone else is in the single digits, led by Vivek Ramaswamy with 6% of caucus-goers, 5% for Nikki Haley, and 4% for Mike Pence.
SEE MORE: Who’s in the race for the White House? Meet the 2024 candidates
Nationally, the political landscape remains relatively consistent. Data from a Morning Consult poll taken Jul. 21–23 reveals that Trump continues to dominate, garnering 59% support among Republican primary voters. DeSantis trails with only 16% backing. Other candidates are polling at approximately single-digit figures, reflecting a substantial gap in support between Trump and his competitors.
With 13 out of the 15 Republican presidential candidates slated to speak, the Lincoln Dinner kicks off at 7 p.m. ET with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley speaking first, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, then DeSantis, followed by Scott, and Mike Pence speaking roughly in the middle of the program. At the end of the program, the public will hear from Ramaswamy and Trump.
While it’s going to be a very busy speaking program, there’s a catch: Each candidate will have just 10 minutes to deliver their pitch to Iowa caucus-goers. Those caucuses will kick off on Jan. 15, 2024, as we are getting very close to the 2024 primary season.
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