多重2024年共和党总统候选人那些继续考虑问鼎白宫的人周六在克莱夫举行的爱荷华州信仰和自由联盟年度春季启动会上向数百名基督教保守派提出了他们的平台。
背靠背的候选人论坛使演讲者能够在爱荷华州赢得一个重要的投票集团，该集团将于明年2月举办共和党候选人的第一次提名竞争。
这堕胎的话题占据了中心位置共和党政客们继续在这个问题上表明自己的立场。
周六的活动是在最高法院暂停下级法院限制使用广泛使用的堕胎药丸的裁决后一天举行的米非司酮当围绕FDA批准该药物的法律纠纷在法庭上上演时。
前副总统迈克·彭斯、前阿肯色州州长阿萨·哈钦森(Asa Hutchinson)、南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特(Tim Scott)和其他共和党人强调，他们支持限制堕胎，反对跨性别权利和学校选择的重要性。
周六发言的还有不太知名的总统候选人拉里·埃尔德、佩里·约翰逊和维韦克·拉马斯瓦米。
前总统唐纳德·特朗普向人群发表了虚拟演讲。以下是论坛的亮点。
唐纳德·特朗普
面对一些堕胎反对者对他堕胎权的批评在州一级决定特朗普在任职期间通过专注于他的司法任命为他的限制立场辩护，包括成功任命三名最高法院法官，他们都帮助推翻了去年罗伊诉韦德案的裁决。
“没人认为会发生这种事，他们认为还需要50年。因为共和党人在那段时间一直试图这样做，”特朗普在预先录制的讲话中说。
“我任命了300多名法官，让宪法战士来填补联邦法官的空缺，他们按照成文法律来解释法律。特朗普说:“我顶住了卑鄙的攻击，以确认我们的三名最高法院法官:尼尔·戈萨奇、布雷特·卡瓦诺和艾米·科尼·巴雷特。”。
他说，他将继续“捍卫生命”，如果当选连任，他承诺将努力遏制跨性别权利——保守派声称这种权利损害社会，引起LGBTQ倡导者的强烈抗议——同时攻击美国教育部。
“我们将重申建国时的犹太教和基督教价值观。我们将保护我们的遗产和传统，”他说。
迈克·彭斯
在最高法院周五对米非司酮做出裁决后，彭斯表示，他希望看到法官禁止化学流产，将FDA批准的药物称为“危险药物”，尽管医生和美国政府表示它是安全的。
“我认为拜登政府现在允许的化学堕胎和邮购堕胎应该被禁止，”彭斯在演讲后告诉美国广播公司新闻。
他与前总统、他的前老板决裂，称他不同意特朗普的观点，即堕胎是州一级的问题，尽管“我确实认为这个问题更有可能在州一级解决。”
2023年4月22日，前副总统迈克·彭斯在爱荷华州克莱夫举行的爱荷华州信仰和自由联盟春季启动仪式上对来宾发表讲话。
斯科特·奥尔森/盖蒂图片社
“我们在这个国家的生活有了新的开始，”彭斯说。我认为我们有机会推进生命的神圣性。"
阿萨·哈钦森
哈钦森是阿肯色州最近的前州长，他的演讲以信仰为中心，认为“我们在公共领域的领导力也应该反映我们的。”和其他人一样，他在向爱荷华州人演讲时强调了他反对堕胎。
“作为州长，我为我们是最支持堕胎的州而自豪。在我担任州长的八年里，我签署了30项反堕胎法案，”他说。
当被问及他的总统优先事项时，哈钦森讨论了消除学校中的“wokeness”，共和党人称这是一场错误地强调身份政治和倡导家长权利的左翼运动。
“最重要的反击方式是让家长参与到我们的学校中来，”他说。
蒂姆·斯科特
斯科特讨论了生命的话题，不仅关注堕胎，还通过他对美国例外论的观点，因为它与种族有关。
“我们有保护这个国家未来的最终责任，不是为了我们自己，而是为了未来的美国人。我只想说，左派的谎言已经被我的生活证明是错误的，”他重复说道他性格中最关键的部分是什么在政治舞台上。
斯科特说，虽然“激进左翼分子正在出售一种受害者身份的药物”，但他主张人们可以实现他们努力实现的任何目标，不管他们的种族身份或教养如何。
“我们必须告诉他们整个故事，真相和救赎的故事，美国是世界历史上最自由、最公平的土地，”斯科特说。"我要说:有一个祈祷的妈妈，一切皆有可能."
维韦克·拉马斯瓦米
企业家拉马斯瓦米在他的讲话中也关注种族问题，他表示，如果他当选，他将结束平权法案，并关闭美国教育部。“你知道作为一个美国人意味着什么吗?这意味着你相信推动这个国家前进的理想，”他说。
拉马斯瓦米在接受美国广播公司采访前表示，当被问及有关米非司酮的法律纠纷时，他“毫无歉意地支持堕胎”。
“行政国家的范围已经太广了，我们需要对其加以约束，”他说。
受欢迎的评论员埃尔德和商人约翰逊也在周六登台，他们最近宣布了自己的长期总统竞选。
“我竞选公职的原因是因为我觉得我有一种义务，一种道德义务和一种宗教义务。我们的家庭，我们的国家，正在远离建立这个国家的犹太教和基督教价值观，”埃尔德说，他在2021年的回忆赛中挑战加州州长加文·纽瑟姆失败。
约翰逊在批评密歇根州州长格雷琴·惠特默(Gretchen Whitmer)废除该州堕胎禁令的决定之前，首先表示他可能对爱荷华州的团体“过于保守”。
“我说，让我们停止这一切，在这个问题上继续进攻，”他说。
在爱荷华州失踪的一位著名政治家是佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯，他周六参加了犹他州共和党的州大会。
一些当地人仍未决定2024年的选择
几位参加周六活动的爱荷华州人告诉美国广播公司新闻，他们基本上没有决定他们的候选人选择，强调了2024年提名过程之前论坛的重要性。
“我们认真对待我们的工作，我热爱这份工作。我们已经在爱荷华州住了很长时间了。我们出去见候选人，”退休商人乔治·伍德说。
“你听着，问问题。这是这个国家唯一可以这样做的地方，”他说。
贝基·麦克基本是一名退休的学校护士，她说她对自己的选择“还没有100%”。
她说:“我认为听取其他人的意见，听取各种不同的想法，以及他们对我们国家愿景的看法，是一件好事。”。
其他人说他们已经知道他们想要谁，并且正在利用每一个机会看他们的候选人发言。
“我希望特朗普再次成为总统，”IT工作者胡安妮塔·布隆尼根说。“这正是我想要的。但我不知道这个国家是否会允许这样做。”
布隆尼根表示，特朗普最近在纽约受到的与封口费付款有关的起诉让她感到“沮丧和恼火”，但自特朗普最近出庭以来，她对这位前总统的支持有增无减。特朗普在法庭上对34项伪造商业记录的指控表示无罪。
“你知道，我希望无论付出什么代价，人们都会支持他，让美国再次伟大起来，”她说。
Trump, Pence and more make their pitch to Iowa voters -- but differ on abortion
Multiple2024 Republican presidential candidatesand those continuing to mull a bid for the White House pitched their platforms on Saturday to hundreds of Christian conservatives at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual spring kickoff in Clive.
The back-to-back candidate forum allowed speakers to court a vital voting bloc in Iowa, which will host the first nominating contest for Republican hopefuls next February.
Thetopic of abortion took center stageas GOP politicians continue to stake out their own stances on the issue.
Saturday's event was held one day after the Supreme Court paused a lower court's ruling to restrict access to the widely used abortion pillmifepristonewhile legal battles over the FDA's approval of the drug play out in court.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and other Republicans emphasized their backing for limits on abortion access, opposition to transgender rights and the importance of school choice.
Also speaking on Saturday were lesser-known presidential candidates Larry Elder, Perry Johnson and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Former President Donald Trump addressed the crowd virtually. Below are highlights from the forum.
Donald Trump
Facing criticism from some abortion opponents over his position that abortion access should bedecided at the state level, Trump defended his stance on restrictions by focusing on his judicial appointments while in office -- including successfully naming three Supreme Court justices, all of whom helped reverse the Roe v. Wade decision last year.
"Nobody thought it was gonna happen, they thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for that period of time," Trump said in his pre-taped remarks.
"I appointed over 300 judges to fill the federal bench with constitutional warriors who interpret the laws as written. I faced down vile attacks to confirm our three Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett," Trump said.
He said he would continue to "stand in defense of life" and, if elected to a second term, he promised to work to curb transgender rights -- which conservatives claim harm society, drawing fierce outcry from LGBTQ advocates -- while attacking the U.S. Department of Education.
"We will reassert the Judeo-Christian values of our nation's founding. We will protect our heritage and traditions," he said.
Mike Pence
In the wake of the Supreme Court decision on mifepristone on Friday, Pence said he wanted to see the justices ban chemical abortions, labeling the FDA-approved drug as "a dangerous medication," though doctors and the U.S. government say it is safe.
"I think that chemical abortions, mail-order abortions that the Biden administration has now allowed should be banned," Pence told ABC News after his speech.
He broke with the former president, his former boss, saying he disagreed with Trump's view that abortion is a state-level matter even though "I do think it's more likely that this issue is resolved at the state level."
"We've been given a new beginning for life in this country," Pence said. I think we have an opportunity to advance the sanctity of life."
Asa Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Arkansas' most recent former governor, centered his speech around faith, arguing that "our leadership in the public arena should reflect our as well." Like others, he stressed his opposition to abortion while addressing Iowans.
"As governor I was proud of the fact that we were the most pro-life state. I signed 30 pro-life bills over my eight years as governor," he said.
Asked about his presidential priorities, Hutchinson discussed eliminating "wokeness" in schools, which Republicans describe as a left-wing movement wrongly emphasizing identity politics, and advocating for parental rights.
"The most important way to push back is by parents being engaged in our schools," he said.
Tim Scott
Scott discussed the topic of life -- not solely by focusing on abortion but through his view of American exceptionalism as it relates to race.
"We have the ultimate responsibility to protect the future of this nation not for ourselves but for Americans unborn. I would simply say, the lies of the left have been disproven by my life," he said, reiteratingwhat has been a key part of his personaon the political stage.
Scott said that while "the radical left are selling a drug of victimhood," he advocated that people could achieve whatever they work toward despite their racial identity or upbringing.
"We have to tell them the whole story, the story of truth and redemption, that America is the freest, fairest land in the history of the world," Scott said. "I will say this: With a praying mama, all things are possible."
Vivek Ramaswamy
Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur, also focused on race during his remarks, stating he would end affirmative action and shut down the U.S. Department of Education if he were elected. "Do you know what it means to be an American? It means you believe in the ideals that set this country into motion," he said.
Ramaswamy told ABC News before he spoke that he was "unapologetically pro-life" in response to being asked about the legal battles surrounding access to mifepristone.
"The scope of the administrative state has reached far too broad we need to constrain it," he said.
Elder, a popular commentator, and businessman Johnson, who recently announced their own long shot presidential bids, also took the stage Saturday.
"The reason I ran for office is because I felt like I had an obligation, a moral obligation and a religious obligation. Our family, our country, is moving away from the Judeo-Christian values that founded this country," said Elder, who unsuccessfully challenged California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall race in 2021.
Johnson opened his remarks by saying he was probably "too conservative" for the Iowa group before criticizing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's decision to repeal the state's abortion ban.
"I say, let's stop all of this and go on the offensive on the subject," he said.
One notable politician missing in Iowa was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was at the Utah GOP's state convention on Saturday.
Some locals remain undecided on 2024 pick
Several Iowans attending Saturday's event told ABC News they were largely undecided about their candidate choice, emphasizing the importance of forums ahead of the 2024 nominating process.
"We take our job seriously and I love it. And we've been living in Iowa a long time. And we get out and see the candidates," said George Wood, a retired businessman.
"You listen and ask questions. This is the only place in the country you can do that," he said.
Becky McKibben, a retired school nurse, said she was "not yet 100%" on her choice.
"I think it's good to hear what other people have to say and hear lots of different ideas and what their thoughts are on what they see as the vision for our country," she said.
Others said they already know who they want and are using every opportunity to see their candidate speak.
"I would like Trump to be the president again," Juanita Blonigan, an IT worker said. "That's what I want. But I don't know if the country is going to allow that."
Blonigan said Trump's recent indictment in New York related to hush money payments made her feel "frustrated and annoyed" but her support of the former president has only strengthened since his recent court appearance, where he pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
"You know, I'm hoping that whatever it takes, people will swing his way and make America great again," she said.
