Pence, Suarez, Burgum woo voters at Iowa State Fair

While day two of the Iowa State Fair has largely wrapped up, Saturday will boast of it’s own appearances by 2024 candidates.

Below is the chat schedule with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and other appearances.

All times Eastern.

9:30 a.m.: Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy fireside chat

11:30 a.m.: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis fireside chat

1:00 p.m.: Ramaswamy Political Soapbox

2:00 p.m.: Trump visits state fair

2:30 p.m.: Democrat Marianne Williamson Political Soapbox

3:15 p.m.: Political Soapbox Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

4:00 p.m.: Political Soapbox Republican Nikki Haley

Former Vice President Mike Pence, during a campaign stop at the Iowa State Fair, brought back memories from his last debate, joking that this time he would bring a fly swatter.

During an interview stop, he was asked about his strategy for the debate. NewsNation’s Kellie Meyers jested: “No flies, right?”

“Well, I think I’m gonna bring a fly swatter this time,” Pence quipped, adding “You know they had a plexiglass wall at that Vice Presidential debate, but it wasn’t tall enough to stop a fly.”

Read full story here.

— Steff Danielle Thomas

Former Vice President Pence visited livestock at the state fair, quipping during the excursion, “that’s a lot of bull.”

Former Vice President Pence contrasted himself with former President Trump and his other 2024 GOP rivals on the issue of abortion.

“My former running mate, governor of Florida and others are suggesting that the Supreme Court returned the question of abortion to the states. Well, the Dobbs [v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization] decision sent the question of abortion to the states and the American people,” Pence told Newsmax in an interview at the state fair.

“The American people elect presidents, they elect Senators, they elect congressmen, so while I’ll always stand for advancing protections for the unborn in states across the country like Iowa just did, like Indiana’s done,” he continued. “I truly do believe that [it’s] vitally important, and that we seize the opportunity at the national level to advance protections for the right to life, and I’ll do so as President.”

Former Vice President Pence and his wife, Karen, visited a “Little Hands on the Farm” child-friendly livestock and farm visit with Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) and his family.

Conservative Iowa talk show host Steve Deace threw his support behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential bid Friday. 

“I’m endorsing Ron DeSantis for president because I think he’s the strongest leader in the race. I think that’s proven. I’ve just seen a level of leadership, strength, that I’ve just not seen in this era,” the host said on “The Steve Deace Show.”

In a press release, DeSantis’s campaign referred to Deace as an “Iowa Kingmaker.” Deace endorsed 2008 Iowa caucus winner Mike Huckabee and 2016 winner Ted Cruz. 

Read more here.

— Julia Manchester

Former Vice President Pence visited the iconic butter cow at the Iowa State Fair alongside Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).

Miami mayor Francis Suarez on Friday claimed he could bring in votes from groups the other 2024 candidates could not.

“I’m running for president at an enormous personal sacrifice to myself, because I believe that I can win this race in 2024,” he said at the Iowa State Fair. “Why do I think I can do that? Because I think there are three pockets of votes that I can get that I don’t know that any other candidate can get.”

The three areas: Hispanics, young people and voters from inner cities.

“There isn’t a better candidate available,” he added. “Period. Full stop.”

The sun continues to shine on the Iowa State Fair as signs display the wide array of food choices, from fried Oreos to cold root beer.

With bright blue skies and colorful booths, the crowd has not dwindled.

Former Vice President Pence in a brief interview on Friday said that he’s ready to take on former President Donald Trump when the first GOP presidential debate takes place next month in Iowa.

“I think I’ve been preparing for this debate my whole life,” Pence told The Hill. “I spent a lifetime in the Republican Party and in the conservative movement … I think I’m going to be the most consistent and experienced conservative on that stage.” 

— Caroline Vakil

While Iowans will be hearing from 2024 GOP candidates, it’s not the only thing drawing crowds at the state fair.

Fairgoers are also enjoying fried eats, listening to live music and doing the Sky Gliding ride, among other entertainment here.

The Iowa State Fair is showcasing a variety of meats, fried foods, deserts and other items for visitors to nosh on.

Fair-goers are capitalizing on onion strings, corn dogs , wall-eye on a stick, cotton candy and more. wa

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he was concerned that polling firms are leaving him off surveys, making it difficult for him to notch a key requirement to make the first GOP debate stage.

Republican contenders need to be at a minimum of 1 percent in three national polls or a minimum of 1 percent in two national polls and 1 percent in two early state polls from two states.

“I do, obviously, because it’s hard to make it a polling threshold if you’re not included in the poll,” he said, in response to a question by The Hill.

“So I do have concerns about that. I’ve always abided by the threshold. I’ve been very supportive of minimum thresholds because I do think that time is valuable. But I also think it has to be a fair process,” he added.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez takes the stage with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for her last fire-side chat today.

The crowd is a bit more sparse this time around. Suarez touts lowering taxes and lower crime rates in Miami in his remarks.

Former Vice President Pence largely avoided criticizing former President Trump during his fire-side chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, focusing on other issues like the U. S. southern border, inflation, foreign policy issues like the country’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan, and culture war issues like gender-affirming surgeries.

”I was always loyal to President Donald Trump ’til the day came that my oath to the Constitution required me to do otherwise. But I’ll always be proud of the record of the Trump-Pence administration,“ Pence said in reference to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack.

North Dakota Gov. Burgum (R) on Friday called it “fantastic” that some supporters of President Biden are reportedly exploiting the $20 gift cards he offered to people who donated $1 to his campaign.

“I think that’s fantastic, because we’re looking forward to running against Joe Biden and I know he’s gonna need all the financial support that he can get to get there. So I think that’s very, very creative,” Burgum told reporters at the Iowa State Fair.

In a unique fundraising technique, Burgum’s campaign offered a $20 Visa or Mastercard gift card to the first 50,000 people who donated $1 to his campaign. He said at the time that the gift cards were a response to “Bidenflation.”

Biden supporters reportedly exploited the offer by donating a dollar to Burgum’s campaign and passing the $20 they received over to Biden’s campaign.

The footwear of choice at Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ fire-side chats today so far are cowboy boots.

Reynolds, North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum and former Vice President Pence have all donned cowboy boots while on stage.

Former Vice President Pence takes the stage for a fire-side chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told The Hill in a brief interview that he’s using moments like the state fair to prepare for the first GOP debate.

“I was preparing right now,” Burgum told The Hill.

“We’re not locking ourselves in a closet. We’re going to keep talking to people about the issues that matter to them, whether it’s the economy, inflation, energy policy. That’s what we need to do because we’re the least well-known of the eight people that have made the stage,“ he added.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum said after his fire-side chat that the RNC’s pledge requirement should apply to everyone — including former President Trump, who hasn’t signed the pledge yet.

“These are all clubhouse rules, but if they’re clubhouse rules, they ought to apply to everybody,” Burgum said.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is participating in a fire-side chat with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds now, her first one this morning.

They’ve touched on issues like the U.S. southern border and fentanyl.

Friday (all times ET)

• Kim Reynolds fireside chat with Doug Burgum, 9:30am; Pence, 10:30am, Suarez, 11:30am
• DMR Political Soapbox, Suarez 12:15pm, Perry Johnson 1pm, Elder  2:30pm

Iowans are back for day two at the Iowa State Fair as attendees line up for their favorite eats and cattle competitions.

People are milling about and the energy is generally relaxed as people move to different booths.

One thing clear from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) public schedule is that Trump would not be joining her for a State Fair program her political team is putting on called “Fairside Chats,” where GOP presidential hopefuls are to meet with the governor for public conversations.

Thirteen candidates are participating in the individual public conversations with Reynolds, including DeSantis, Scott, radio host Larry Elder, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, businessman Ryan Binkley, businessman Perry Johnson and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd.

– The Associated Press

Republican presidential hopefuls will eat fried and eclectic fair food, meet with Iowans face-to-face, and participate in the political soapbox where candidates can address fair goers on a stage.  

The state fair will be a prime event for candidates looking to make their case to voters and offer an increasingly rare opportunity to contrast themselves with Trump in the same forum, as The Hill’s Caroline Vakil reports live from the event.

Read more here.