Trump, DeSantis, Other Republican Rivals Share Iowa Stage

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Facts

  • On Friday, 13 Republican presidential candidates, headlined by former US Pres. Donald Trump, spoke at the annual Lincoln Dinner fundraiser in Iowa, marking the first time all of the candidates shared a stage during the 2024 election cycle.1
  • Despite ongoing legal battles, Trump leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by 30 points. He told the audience that he was the only candidate who could win in 2024 and suggested that the legal indictments were intended to take him out. Even if convicted of a crime, Trump will stay in the race.2
  • Trump urged the crowd "not to take a chance" on DeSantis, whom he repeatedly called "DeSanctus." He also cited his conservative bona fides, noting his three Supreme Court nominees and his efforts to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.3
  • DeSantis used his 10 minutes to criticize Pres. Joe Biden, mentioning a recent story in which cocaine was found in the White House while insinuating that his son, Hunter, took money from foreign governments.4
  • DeSantis also said, "The time for excuses is over. We must get the job done," adding, "I will get the job done." He also repeated his campaign promise to stop the "weaponization" of the Justice Department, an indirect reference to Trump's legal troubles.5
  • Though some speakers tried to denounce Trump, they were met with negative responses from the crowd. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said the party needs a "new direction," while former Texas Rep. Will Hurd drew loud and sustained boos for accusing Trump of only running to avoid jail time.6

Sources: 1BBC News, 2Yahoo News, 3Al Jazeera, 4New York Post, 5ABC News, and 6The Seattle Times.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. Despite the ongoing legal challenges facing Trump, many Republican voters have said they are not concerned about the former president's legal troubles and believe the controversies are part of a continued liberal smear campaign. Others have grown tired of all the drama surrounding Trump and are increasingly open to other Republican candidates. Nevertheless, the GOP field is strong.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Los Angeles Times. The list of potential Republican presidential hopefuls looks more like a list of vice-presidential candidates than actual contenders. Rather than challenging Trump, they echo his nonsense, depicting him as the victim and blaming everybody from the Justice Department to President Biden for his self-inflicted legal predicament. It's time for the GOP to offer some original ideas.

Predictions