DeSantis, Pence attend Iowa biker rally
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump skipped a motorcycles-and-barbecue fundraiser that’s the marquee Republican political event of the early summer in Iowa, ceding the stage to a gaggle of contenders led by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Mr DeSantis, faced with pressure to improve his retail politics, worked crowds at US Senator Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride on Saturday — he stopped for ice cream with his children at a stand his super PAC set up in the parking lot at the Des Moines event, signed the side of his team’s touring bus and posed for pictures.
His wife, Casey DeSantis, wore a black leather jacket that said “WHERE WOKE GOES TO DIE” inside an outline of the state of Florida.
Mr Trump, who met with GOP state officials earlier in the week, was a noshow at the Des Moines biker rally and cattle-call for presidential aspirants. Polls give the former US president a wide lead over Mr DeSantis, his closest challenger, and the rest of the pack.
Mr DeSantis, trailed by a pack of reporters, didn’t answer questions about whether he’d sign a pledge promising to support the eventual GOP nominee. Asked about Mr Trump’s absence, he said he was just happy to be there — then made a beeline to pet some puppies.
“I thought there was a little more fire in DeSantis than normal and I was happy to see that,” said audience member Sarah Williams, a retail manager from Cedar Rapids.
As for Mr Trump, “our concern is he’s a little too polarising, even though we’re such big fans of him,’ she said. “I would love to say, ‘Put him back in and let him fix it,’ but I don’t know if he’s electable.”
Mr Trump and Mr DeSantis made swings through Iowa earlier this week.
While President Joe Biden has moved to push South Carolina to the front of the line for Democratic presidential voting, the state is still scheduled to hold Republicans’ first-in-the nation caucus.
On Wednesday night, Mr Trump invited several GOP state elected officials to 801 Chophouse, a popular venue for visiting politicos, and talked about how well he’s doing in the polls as he dined on steak with salt, mashed potatoes and cheesecake, according to people familiar with the conversation. Mr Trump seemed to be seeking endorsements to box out Mr DeSantis, two of the people said.
Ms Ernst’s team had asked if Mr Trump wanted to do an appearance by taped video at her event, but he didn’t submit one. There has been tension in the past between Mr Trump and Ms Ernst, who at times distanced herself from him.
Former Vice President Mike Pence was the only one to mount a motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Road King, for Ms Ernst’s biker parade, known for its backslaps, leather vests, American flags, rider signals and scent of gas and oil.
In 2017, the motorcycle route was 79 kilometres when Mr Pence headlined the Roast and Ride, but the then-vice president rode only a matter of meters, trailed by Secret Service agents on foot. This year, he was less constrained.
Mr Pence told the bikers that a reporter asked him about the political “lane” he’d be in for this race. He joked: “I’m more worried about the lane we’re going to be staying in today,” referring to this year’s 24-mile motorcycle route.
Ticket holders and VIPs who didn’t take part in the motorcycle ride headed straight for the state fairgrounds to hear from speakers such as pharmaceutical entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley seemed to take a jab at MrTrump.
“We’ve got to start doing this in a way that we can win a general election,” she told the crowd. “It’s time for a new generational leader. We got to leave the baggage and the negativity behind.”