- Amid plates of sliced pork, statement-making leather ensembles and piles of political T-shirts, eight Republican presidential hopefuls descended on Iowa to pitch themselves to voters and, in Mike Pence’s case, hop on a motorcycle.
- The former vice president and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis were among the White House contenders appearing at a rally at the state fairgrounds near Des Moines hosted by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. Her annual political event, the “Roast and Ride” — a combination barbecue-rally and motorcycle ride — kicks off a busy summer campaign season heading into the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses early next year.
- Former President Donald Trump, the leading GOP presidential candidate, was notably absent after spending two days in the state this past week.
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GOP Hopefuls Gather In Iowa For Annual ‘Roast And Ride’
GOP Hopefuls Gather In Iowa For Annual 'Roast And Ride'
Casey DeSantis, center, the wife of presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, stands in front of the bus for her husband's super PAC, Never Back Down, at U.S. Sen. Joni Ernest's Roast and Ride, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Hannah Fingerhut)
