Former President Trump enjoyed a raucous reception from Iowa football fans as he overshadowed his Republican rivals in an interstate grudge match.
Trump was mobbed by fans as he entered the stadium during the Iowa-Iowa State showdown, while his closest challenger Ron DeSantis appeared to be met with mixed reactions.
The contest was billed as a key early moment in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, with the two candidates crossing paths in front of tens of thousands of people in the state where voters get the first say in the race, by caucus.
After wading through fans, Trump watched from a glass box surrounded by Secret Service agents as DeSantis sat in the stands next to popular Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.
The dueling performances come as Trump continues to maintain a commanding lead in his fight for re-election, where he has 52.7 percent of support among Republican voters, compared to DeSantis’ modest 13.3 percent, according to FiveThirtyEights poll aggregator.
Before taking the stands, Trump stopped at an Iowa State University dorm, where he flipped burgers and signed footballs for students.
Trump made a grandstand entrance during the showdown in Iowa by wading through the crowd
DeSantis sat in the stands with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, while Trump opted for a glass box surrounded by Secret Service agents
Trump sat in a glass box during the interstate confrontation, putting him in full view for thousands of attendees and allowing them to show both their support and their distaste for the former president
Before the game started, DeSantis joined tailgates outside the stadium for both the Universities of Iowa and Iowa State, while Trump opted for an extremely public display by wading through the crowd.
DeSantis was joined on his journey through the waiting football fans by Reynolds, who has yet to endorse the race but has made numerous appearances with Florida’s governor in the state in recent weeks.
When asked who he was advocating for, DeSantis said he “wouldn’t do anything to upset Reynolds, an Iowa State graduate.”
His campaign says it has visited more than half of the state’s 99 counties since he launched his candidacy, while Trump has made just five visits to Iowa.
Saturday’s clash between the warring campaigns will be the second in a month, after they also faced off at the Iowa State Fair.
In a repeat of Trump’s warm football reception in Iowa, he also overshadowed his rivals at the fair in a show of strength as his lead in the polls continued to expand.
After being mobbed by fans on his way in, Trump headed to an exclusive box to enjoy the game at Jack Trice Stadium.
DeSantis took the opportunity to greet Iowans, who will be the first to enter the Republican presidential race
Florida’s governor takes a photo with supporters at an Iowa State Wrestling tailgate before the match started
DeSantis toured tailgates to speak to Iowa voters ahead of the game
As President Biden looks to have a good shot at the Democratic nomination after Robert F. Kennedy’s candidacy failed in recent weeks, the Republican race has entered the stage where it usually heats up after Labor Day.
By February, polls showed DeSantis had all but closed the gap with Trump, with one poll showing him reaching 38.8 percent support to the former president’s 40.8.
But the favorable support came before DeSantis had even announced his candidacy in May, and a disastrous launch on Twitter was seemingly difficult for the Florida governor to overcome.
Despite being down by nearly 40 points, DeSantis was seen shaking hands and taking selfies with numerous fans during the game next to Reynolds.
DeSantis and Reynolds were joined by Carson King, 24 – the Iowa native who started a foundation to raise money for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital by asking for beer money with a funny sign on it.
DeSantis told reporters they were having a good time, saying, “It’s a decent atmosphere, probably a little more civil than the Florida-Georgia game.”
As expected, with tens of thousands of voters in the stadium, both candidates received mixed reactions – with a DeSantis selfie showing a disgruntled attendee turning the bird behind him.
DeSantis was seen shaking hands and taking selfies with voters during the game, with one cheeky fan taking the opportunity to flip him the bird in the background of a photo
Before entering the stands at the Iowa Interstate Football game, Trump stopped by the Alpha Gamma Ro Agriculture Fraternity House at Iowa State University.
The former president signed footballs and threw them into the younger crowd
Two other Republican presidential candidates — North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson — also appeared at the game and reportedly greeted each other.
Hutchinson told reporters he favored the underdog. He said, ‘I’m an underdog in this race and I want the underdogs to win.’
This was also evident in the reception Trump received, as the cheering crowd was interspersed with cheering and heckling as he mingled with the mob.
His view from the glass box, where he remained in full view of thousands throughout the match, also saw voters cheering and waving at him, while others showed their disgust for the former president.
Trump’s dominance of the field in Iowa — where several polls show him with a more than 25-point lead in the state — led DeSantis’ campaign to concede this week that they would settle for a “strong second place.”
His campaign added that their goal is to reduce the fight to a two-horse race in the coming months, with the eight other candidates vying for the nomination seen as a split from the non-Trump electorate.
Earlier in the day, Trump stopped by the Alpha Gamma Ro Agriculture Fraternity House at Iowa State University to greet a younger crowd, where he flipped burgers and signed footballs before tossing them into the crowd.
Brotherhood members chanted “Donald” as the former president made another seemingly popular appearance in the nation’s first voting state.