佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯和南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特加入一系列其他2024年共和党候选人参加周六在爱荷华州得梅因举行的乔尼·恩斯特的年度“烧烤与骑乘”活动。
虽然民调领先的前总统唐纳德·特朗普选择跳过这一活动，但他据报道给恩斯特的团队送了一个签名的摩托车头盔，署名“45& 47."
德桑蒂斯在讲话中谈到了熟悉的竞选主题，他说，共和党“需要摒弃过去几年困扰”该党的失败文化。
“佛罗里达在2022年出现了红色浪潮，”德桑蒂斯说。“国内其他地方，就没那么多了。”
这位佛罗里达州州长发誓要“关注所有重要的问题”，比如边境安全。
第一批参加竞选的候选人之一、南卡罗莱纳州州长妮基·黑利也暗示，增加移民是重中之重。
“我们会回去继续留在墨西哥，因为你猜怎么着?没有人想留在墨西哥。我们将保留第42条的规定，而不是抓捕和释放，我们将开始抓捕和驱逐，我们将确保当涉及到我们的国家安全时，各国知道我们对他们的期望，”她在烧烤和骑马活动上对与会者说。
其他人，如前副总统迈克·彭斯，他是预计他将于下周宣布参选呼吁爱荷华州的宗教选民，强调“保护美国家庭”的重要性，以及“美国人民是如何看待...激进左派。”
“就问百威轻。目标。顺便说一句，这是给美国职业棒球大联盟的一个信息:宗教偏见在美国没有立足之地。
2023年6月3日，爱荷华州得梅因市，前副总统迈克·彭斯在乔尼·恩斯特烧烤骑乘活动上对客人讲话。
斯科特·奥尔森/盖蒂图片社
企业家Vivek Ramaswamy、脱口秀主持人Larry Elder和商人Perry Johnson也回复了该活动，该活动成为大部分共和党2024年候选人在同一个地方发言的主要聚会。
爱荷华州露天市场的“烧烤和骑乘”以集会和骑摩托车为特色，烧烤两种肉类，今年是像乔·拜登这样的主要民主党人。
除了提醒选民民主党人如何剥夺了爱荷华州党团会议的传统全国第一地位——党内许多人说爱荷华州不再是民主党选民的最佳代表——恩斯特还向共和党候选人推销她的活动，作为在明年初选之前直接与全州爱荷华州人接触的必要一站。
“艾奥瓦人听到蒂姆和许多更保守的领导人的声音非常激动，”她说。
这一背景为即将成为竞选活动中心的政策理念和人物提供了预演。
恩斯特邀请了2024年所有主要的共和党候选人-既包括那些宣布参选的候选人，如前总统唐纳德·特朗普，也包括那些尚未正式参选的候选人，如彭斯，他最近在爱荷华州高调亮相。
“爱荷华州党团会议一直是为了给总统候选人提供一个公平的竞争环境，无论资源或投票情况如何，都能够直接向爱荷华州人推销，”爱荷华州共和党主席杰夫·考夫曼在给美国广播公司新闻的一份声明中说。“乔尼为爱荷华州人提供了另一个平台，让他们在今年的‘烧烤和骑行’上听到更多来自2024年希望者的声音，这完全符合爱荷华州党团会议的精神。”
一年一度的“烧烤和乘坐”始于2015年，第一年的特色是七位共和党总统候选人的演讲。特朗普在赢得共和党提名后于2016年8月登上头条。
据她的办公室说，这笔收入每年都捐给不同的退伍军人慈善机构，作为对恩斯特作为战斗老兵服务的敬意。今年，位于锡达拉皮兹的自由基金会被选中。
Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott and more join multi-candidate 'Roast and Ride' in Iowa
FloridaGov. Ron DeSantisandSouth Carolina Sen. Tim Scottjoined a slate ofother 2024 Republican hopefulsfor Sen. Joni Ernst's annual "Roast and Ride" in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday.
While former President Donald Trump, who leads in polling, opted to skip the event, hereportedlysent Ernst's team an autographed motorcycle helmet signed "45& 47."
DeSantis touched on familiar campaign themes during his remarks, saying that the GOP "needs to dispense with a culture of losing that has beset" the party over the past few years.
"[Florida] had a red wave in 2022," DeSantis said. "The rest of the country, not so much."
The Florida governor vowed to "lean into all the issues that matter," such as border security.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, one of the first candidates to enter the race, also alluded to increased migration as a top priority.
"We will go back to remain in Mexico because guess what? Nobody wants to remain in Mexico. We will keep the provisions of Title 42 and instead of catch and release, we will start to catch and deport and we will make sure when it comes to our national security that countries know what we expect of them," she told attendees at the Roast and Ride.
Others, such as former Vice President Mike Pence, who isexpected to declare his candidacy next week, appealed to Iowa’s religious voters, stressing the importance of "protecting the American family" and how "the American people are onto ... the radical left."
"Just ask Bud Light. Target. And by the way, a message to Major League Baseball: religious bigotry has no place in America," he said.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, talk radio host Larry Elder and businessman Perry Johnson also RSVP'd to the event, which turned into a major gathering of most of the GOP 2024 candidates speaking in the same place.
The "Roast and Ride" at the Iowa State Fairgrounds features a rally and a motorcycle ride and roasting of two kinds -- of meats and, this year, of leading Democrats like Joe Biden.
In addition to reminding voters how Democrats stripped Iowa caucuses of their traditional first-in-the-nation status -- with many in the party saying Iowa no longer best represented Democratic voters -- Ernst has pitched her event to Republican candidates as a necessary stop to engage directly with Iowans from across the state ahead of next year's primary race.
"Iowans are fired up to hear from Tim and many more conservative leaders," she said.
The setting offers a preview of the policy ideas and personalities that will soon take center stage on the campaign trail.
Ernst invited all major 2024 Republican candidates -- both those declared, like former President Donald Trump, and those who have yet to make their bid official, such as Pence, who recently made his own high-profile appearances in Iowa.
"The Iowa Caucus has always been about providing a level playing field for presidential candidates to come out here and be able to, regardless of resources or polling, make their pitch directly to Iowans," Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in a statement to ABC News. "Joni providing another platform for Iowans to hear more from 2024 hopefuls at 'Roast and Ride' this year is well within the spirit of the Iowa Caucus."
The annual "Roast and Ride" began in 2015 and in its first year featured speeches from seven GOP presidential hopefuls. Trump headlined in August 2016 after winning the Republican nomination.
The proceeds benefit a different veteran's charity each year, as an homage to Ernst's service as a combat veteran, according to her office. This year, The Freedom Foundation based in Cedar Rapids was chosen.
