Trump draws a spectacle at the Iowa State Fair, takes focus from DeSantis

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis competed for votes at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on Saturday.
Former President Donald Trump and his main rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, competed for votes at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday. Trump’s drop-in, which featured several Florida U.S. House members who have endorsed him, overshadowed DeSantis’ visit.

Hundreds of fairgoers flocked to see Trump as he made his way through the fairgrounds. He visited the Iowa Pork Producers tent, the Animal Learning Center and a spoke briefly at the Steer and Stein restaurant on the main concourse.

Trump skipped participating in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds public interviews she’s having with candidates called “Fair Side Chats." The former president has been critical of Reynolds for not endorsing him. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke with Reynolds in the morning and did not call out Trump directly.