GOP presidential candidates try to win over voters at the Iowa State Fair

Amna Nawaz:

Butter cows, corn dogs and politics, these are just a few of the things top of mind for Iowans as they kick off the country's third largest fair this weekend, in attendance, nearly every major GOP presidential candidate vying for the hearts and minds of the Hawkeyes and of the state's January caucus.

Our own Lisa Desjardins has been catching up with these candidates, as well as voters on the ground.

She joins me now.

Lisa, it's good to see you.

So, we're still months away from that caucus. But what kind of separation are we already seeing emerge in that Republican field?

Lisa Desjardins:

I think what you find from voters here is something that we see in polls.

So, talking to them on the ground here in Iowa, Amna, I hear three categories of Republicans emerging, one, former President Trump in a category by himself way out ahead, and then the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, a lot of folks talking about him. And then, honestly, the third category is everyone else.

So let's look at the entire Republican field, or at least the top 11 candidates as it stands right now. This is a big field. We have seen bigger in the past, but still plenty for Iowans to talk about. One separation happening right now, who has qualified for the first Republican debate coming up in a couple of weeks?

Just eight of these candidates, you see them there, have qualified. And, Amna, that's one reason events like this state fair are so important right now for candidates like, let's say, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who's not on the debate stage yet. He has to get out his message here to try and get there.

Here's what he told me today.

Francis Suarez (R), Presidential Candidate: It's critical because, for me, it's the first opportunity to be on an equal footing with eight other national figures. I'm probably the only one that's not a national figure. So I'm the one that needs the most volume and the most time, not that I will get more volume and time than them.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, that's really one of the first hurdles here.

But there's others who are going to be on the debate stage, Amna, who know that they need momentum in this state. One of those is, of course, the former Vice President Mike Pence. He's from Indiana, two states over. If he can't do well in Iowa, he knows he's got a major problem.

And I asked him, how does he gain ground against the president who he was vice president for? He initially said, just stay tuned. So I followed up.

Lisa Desjardins:

What exactly are you going to do here in Iowa? What do you — tell me what you mean?

Mike Pence (R), Presidential Candidate: You know, when I got my first job at a gas station when I was growing up at one of my dad's gas stations, I was trying to figure out how to get the people there to respect me.

And my dad gave me a piece of advice. He said, "Outwork them." And I did. And they all became my best friends. And I promise you, nobody's going to work harder in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, or any state in this country than Mike and Karen Pence.

Lisa Desjardins:

So many dynamics right now in Iowa. He says he's going to outwork everyone else.

But, Amna, he was actually asked a question about someone who said, "You were a traitor." A Trump supporter called him a traitor at this fair.

So, he's dealing with many layers of dynamics and a lot of doubt if the Republicans who right now are thinking more about the president he served with.

Amna Nawaz:

So, Lisa, when you talk to voters there on the ground in Iowa, what are you hearing? Who are they paying attention to and which candidates are piquing their interest?

Lisa Desjardins:

You know, the state fair is all about, like, what is your favorite new food?

And so the Iowa Republicans, it's sort of the same kind of thing. They like to browse around. Even if they talk about the front-runners, they are thinking about everyone else.

And there are two names that I keep hearing more and more, one, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. His name has come up from a number of voters here today, saying they are considering him. Why? They like his Midwestern sensibility. They think he's a can-do guy, not a career politician, someone who's had success in North Dakota, and has a very straightforward message.

They don't see him as a bomb-thrower. They see him as someone who could compete with Joe Biden. He is down in the polls right now. But he's making a name for himself.

The other name we have heard a lot as a team here, Amna, is Tim Scott. The South Carolina senator has not been at the state fair yet. He will be here in about a week or so. But he's someone a lot of Republicans like. They say they like that he's kind of got a message that's more on the positive side. They think he doesn't have all the baggage and drama, as one person told me, of former President Trump and even Governor DeSantis.

So I think we're going to watch and see if those two — either of those get some momentum.

Amna Nawaz:

So, Lisa, as you know, there are a number of court cases, including also former President Trump's indictments, now hovering over this election.

And we now also have a special counsel who has been appointed to investigate the Hunter Biden case. How do folks on the ground that you talk to there look at all of those issues?

Lisa Desjardins:

Right.

This happened, this was breaking while we were here. And we happened to see the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley, at the fair, and we asked him what he thought of it. Here's what he told us.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA):

Well, it's the first time I have heard of it. It sounds to me like it should have been done a long time ago.

Lisa Desjardins:

And I will say, that was generally the reaction early this morning, as the news was breaking, that Republicans and most everyone here was applauding this.

There is a sentiment from many voters they know about the Hunter Biden case. It's a phrase that is in the minds of Iowans here. And we talked to some who just generally felt that things are not fair.

Here are two voters we talked to from Pleasantville, Iowa.

Jennifer Hayes, Republican Voter:

I think there needs to stop being two sets of rules, some for Republicans, some for Democrats. It should be the same for everybody.

Russ Hayes, Republican Voter:

It's way too biased. It's way too biased.

Lisa Desjardins:

It was interesting, Amna.

Initially, there was a lot of applause for this decision. As I think new stories came out, there was more skepticism about what it would mean. But, of course, what may affect Iowa more is the date potentially of former President Trump's trial. There's a proposal for it to be in January.

And President Trump put out — former President Trump put out a statement saying that that, he sees, as election interference in the Iowa caucuses.

And, of course, no one here in Iowa wants to see their front-runner candidate in a trial two weeks before their caucuses. I spoke to the chairman of the Republican Party here, Amna. He said he thinks that trial in January, if it is scheduled for January, would only help Trump with his name recognition.

Amna Nawaz:

That is our Lisa Desjardins reporting from the Iowa State Fair as campaign 2024 is now well under way.

Lisa, good to see you. Thank you.

Lisa Desjardins:

Thank you.