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Trump, DeSantis and top Republican candidates to share stage at Iowa event

Every major Republican presidential candidate will share a stage in the early voting state of Iowa tonight, as Donald Trump continues to dominate in the polls despite his numerous legal liabilities.

Most of the 13 candidates will appear at the Iowa Republican party’s 2023 Lincoln Dinner fundraiser, giving them an opportunity to address donors and local party leaders with less than six months left before the state’s crucial caucuses.

The lineup of confirmed speakers for tonight are:

The event is scheduled to begin at 7pm ET. We will be following it live here on the blog.

Updated at 19.19 EDT

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Lincoln Dinner concludes

After more than two hours of speeches mainly centered on trans healthcare, the southern border and abortion, the Lincoln Dinner put on by Iowa’s Republicans, has concluded.

Thirteen speakers took to the podium to lay out their ideas about what is wrong with America and how they, as presidential hopefuls, had the answers to conservative gripes.

Few took direct jabs at each other and rather directed their criticisms at Democratic policies and boogeymen like the indoctrination of children and stripping of rights from parents.

The former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson mentioned the many lawsuits former president Donald Trump is facing and Will Hurd, a lesser-known candidate from Texas, said explicitly that Tump was running for president to stay out of prison. That comment was met with loud boos from the ballroom audience.

Trump, who spoke last and continues to dominate in the polls despite his numerous legal liabilities, pulled no punches when calling out his main opponent, Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. He continuously mispronounced his name, called out his opposition to ethanol production and argued that the Florida governor was lagging behind in the polls.

“I wouldn’t take a chance on that one,” Trump said of DeSantis.

While, he made it a point to tell the Iowa audience about his policies on trans people in sports and tariffs he imposed on China, the former president made no mention of the litany of charges he is facing.

The only Republican candidate absent from the dinner was Chris Christie.

Read the rest of the Guardian’s coverage of the dinner here.

Updated at 22.22 EDT

Most of the Republican speakers at tonight’s Lincoln Dinner did not take aim at any of their peers, but Donald Trump, who just left the podium to cheers, took several jabs at Ron DeSantis.

He continuously mispronounced his name, called out his opposition to ethanol production and argued that the Florida governor was lagging behind in the polls.

“I wouldn’t take a chance on that one,” Trump said of DeSantis.

Updated at 21.41 EDT

Will Hurd, a former US representative from Texas and lesser-known candidate in the Republican race, left the stage to the sound of boos after he said that Donald Trump is running for president just to stay out prison.

Updated at 20.53 EDT

At the podium now is former vice-president Mike Pence. He opens his speech by calling out what he sees as Joe Biden’s failing at the border and pro-choice stance.

“Joe Biden has been a disaster for America,” he tells the crowd.

In addition to standard conservative talking points on the national debt and national security, he also vowed to implement a ban on trans people in the military.

Updated at 20.39 EDT

We’re approaching the halfway point of tonight’s Lincoln Dinner in Iowa. So far, six Republican candidate hopefuls have given their spiel on their plans for the nation. They are:

Each speaker has called out salient issues in today’s culture wars like abortion access, healthcare for transgender children and ethnic studies in schools.

Updated at 20.38 EDT

Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, a potential Republican ticket frontrunner, just left the stage. He emphasized the policies that have allowed the state to “beat the left’s agenda”.

He also vowed to deploy the military to the southern border and use “deadly force” on cartels.

DeSantis’ assaults on transgender healthcare, abortion access and ethnic studies and LGBTQ+ education have been well-documented. In May, the Guardian published a story where wide minority groups warned of what the damage his presidency could do to the nation.

Read that piece here.

Updated at 20.38 EDT

Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina was the first presidential hopeful to address the Lincoln Dinner audience.

She emphasized the nation’s $32tn debt as well as the economic struggles facing many American families. She also took an unsurprising aim at the Biden administration, claiming that a 2024 win for Biden will mean that Kamala Harris is really the one winning the election.

Updated at 20.38 EDT

Iowa governor Kim Reynolds just stepped off of the Lincoln Dinner stage. During her speech she touted the state’s supermajority and passage of conservative education and abortion policies. She told the dinner audience:

We’re empowering parents and protecting life.”

Earlier this month state legislators voted to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, a time before most people know they are pregnant.

Read more on the decision here.

Updated at 20.38 EDT

I’m Abené Clayton, reporting from the west coast.

The Lincoln Dinner, put on by Iowa’s Republican Party is underway.

All of the Republican candidates for president, except Chris Christie, will deliver speeches of up to 10min to the ballroom audience.

Up first were Jeff Kaufman a state representative and Kim Reynolds, the governor of Iowa.

I’ll be posting updates from the dinner here.

Updated at 19.25 EDT

At the Iowa Republican party’s 2023 Lincoln Dinner fundraiser, the super PAC backing Ron DeSantis has set up baseballs to throw at cans of Bud Light.

From the New York Times’ Shane Goldmacher: