DES MOINES, Iowa — Three Republican presidential candidates participated in Gov. Kim Reynolds' "Fair-Side Chats" on Saturday.
But while Reynolds welcomed Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another candidate was pulling a crowd of his own: Former President Donald Trump.
Trump's decision to forego the "Fair-Side Chats" comes just over a month after he criticized Reynolds for her connections to DeSantis, his closest competitor in the Republican primary.
“I opened up the Governor position for Kim Reynolds, & when she fell behind, I ENDORSED her, did big Rallies, & she won,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on July 10. “Now, she wants to remain ‘NEUTRAL.’ I don’t invite her to events! DeSanctus down 45 points!”
Trump's event fell several hours after the "Fair-Side Chats" ended, drawing large crowds to the Steer & Stein around 1 p.m.
“2020 was fantastic. 2016 was fantastic, but we have never seen love and enthusiasm," Trump told the crowd. "Some of the people where we stopped in 2020 and in 2016... This blows it away. We set a record for people today. You’re very special.”
A recent New York Times/Siena College poll shows Trump far ahead of everyone in the Republican field. Trump acknowledged his lead, but said there's still more work to be done.
“We’re way up in the polls in Iowa and all over the country. We’re up by over 50 points," Trump said. "That’s a lot, but we don’t want to take any chances. We’ll be back.”
Despite Trump's presence at the fair, Reynolds largely avoided mentioning him during her event.
Instead, she used her time with Haley, Ramaswamy and DeSantis to highlight topics including education, the economy and gender identity.
"On Day 1, we take all Biden regulations and executive orders and throw them in the trash can," DeSantis said.
The three candidates had the chance to tell Iowans why they are running for president in the first place.
"You get ahead in this country with your own hard work, your own commitment, your own dedication... you're free to speak your mind at every step of the way," Ramaswamy said. "That's the American Dream, that's what we are running to, and that's what we together are going to revive to save our great nation."
DeSantis emphasized that Iowans are looking for a leader.
"At the end of the day, leadership means that you got to be willing to stand for what is right, even when it's not popular, and even when you are standing virtually alone," he said.
All three candidates showed strong support for Reynolds, with Haley even calling her the "best governor in the country."
"...Kim does such a good job of bringing the best out of people," Ramaswamy said. "She has that effect on me, she has that effect on the people of the state. Look at how successful she's been as a governor."