Former President Donald Trump, along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a slew of other candidates, addressed the Republican Party of Iowa’s Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines.
The annual fundraising event is a staple of Hakeyeye State politics and gives presidential contenders a venue to address thousands of Iowa caucus voters in the process. In addition to Trump and DeSantis, there were also speeches from Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Asa Hutchinson, Larry Elder, Perry Johnson, Doug Burgum, Francis Suarez, and more.
Here are all the details including the event start time and all the candidate speeches from Friday night’s dinner.
Trump Speaks at Republican Party of Iowa’s 2023 Lincoln Dinner
When: Friday, July 28, 2023
Where: Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa
Full Videos: Watch Below
Each candidate was given about 10 minutes of speaking time. Here is a collection of all the candidate speeches throughout the evening.
Full Video – Donald Trump (July 28)
Full Video – Vivek Ramaswamy (July 28)
Full Video – Mike Pence (July 28)
Full Video – Tim Scott (July 28)
Full Video – Ron DeSantis (July 28)
Full Video – Asa Hutchinson (July 28)
Full Video – Nikki Haley (July 28)
Full Video – Larry Elder (July 28)
Schedule
All times central unless noted
- 4 pm CT – Doors Open
- 5 pm CT – Dinner Starts
- 9 pm CT – The event is scheduled to run until 9 pm CT (10 pm ET)
The annual Lincoln Dinner amounts to what political observers label a “cattle call event” where candidates make an appearance and mingle with voters. There are certain events in certain early primary states which are must-attend for candidates hoping to curry favor with voters who are typically among the most active and ardent in their respective states.
As the Des Moines Register noted today, this will be the first time Trump and DeSantis will be sharing a stage in Iowa:
The event marks the first time Trump and DeSantis both have attended the same event in Iowa. While DeSantis has appeared at events like U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s Roast & Ride and The Family Leader’s annual summit, Trump has opted to skip them — instead returning every few weeks for Fox News town halls and stops at restaurants and campaign volunteer events.
DeSantis’ appearance and remarks at the dinner follow an Iowa bus tour put on by his super PAC Never Back Down, as the governor’s campaign moves forward from a “reset” that included significant staff layoffs and a pivot in messaging and strategy.
Trump, who in recent weeks has attacked Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for her declining to endorse ahead of the caucuses, remains the far-and-away frontrunner in the race. He’s widely expected to be indicted soon in a third case, as his campaign operation continues to pay his legal bills amid attempts by his challengers to chip away at his polling lead.
Iowa is still Tump’s ballgame, as evidenced by recent polls, but it could grow more competitive as the campaign wears on.
Liver coverage begins at 5 pm ET with candidate appearances and speeches throughout the evening. As mentioned above, Trump is the keynote headline speaker for the dinner and his speech will be the last on the schedule.
Follow the Trump rally and event schedule for all upcoming rallies and campaign events.
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