Amid plates of sliced ​​pork, statement-making leather ensembles, and stacks of political T-shirts, eight Republican presidential candidates descended on Iowa to introduce themselves to voters and, in Mike Pence’s case, ride a motorcycle. to jump.

The former vice president and governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis was among the White House contenders who appeared at a rally at the state fairgrounds near Des Moines hosted by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. Its annual political event, the Roast and Ride, a combination barbecue rally and motorcycle ride, kicks off a busy summer campaign season leading up to the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses early next year.

Former President Trump, the GOP’s leading presidential candidate, was notably absent after spending two days in the state last week.

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He has largely avoided any events where he shared the podium with his 2024 rivals.

DeSantis, with his wife, Casey, and three young children in tow, chatted with voters, handed out autographs and signed the bible of a man thanking DeSantis for standing up to Disney. DeSantis just concluded his first week as an official candidate with a blitz of campaign stops in three states with early voting.

Casey DeSantis wore a black leather jacket in 86 degree weather with the words Where Woke Goes to Die and a sketch of Florida on the back. It reminded me of comparisons to

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Melania Trump, who famously sent her own message on the back of the jacket in 2018 wearing a green hooded jacket that said I really don’t care, do you do when she left the White House for a trip to help migrant children in to visit Texas.

Pence was the only White House hopeful to participate in a morning motorcycle ride for charity, a staple of Ernst’s annual Roast and Ride event. He wore jeans, boots, and a leather vest with Indiana patches and messages of support for the military.

The former Indiana governor, who has made frequent trips to Iowa over the past year, is expected to launch his much-anticipated campaign Wednesday at an event in Des Moines.

“I’ll be back a little later next week,” Pence teased the crowd when he spoke later at the rally. I have nothing to announce today.

Earlier in the morning, before they started their motorcycle ride, Pence, standing in the back of a pickup with Ernst, again hinted at his impending candidacy.

One of the reporters just asked me if we were going to show up more in Iowa, what our job would be. I said I’m more concerned about the job staying today, Pence joked.

The former vice president, sporting a white motorcycle helmet and a big grin, then rode off on a cobalt blue Harley

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davidson The group drove to the fairgrounds, where candidates gave speeches and chatted with barbecue-eating voters.

Other candidates speaking at the event included former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the former governor of Arkansas. Asa Hutchinson, Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, author Vivek Ramaswamy, and conservative talk show host Larry Elder.

In their remarks, the candidates all tiptoe around mentions of the former president. Haley repeated a version of a line she used as a candidate that appears to refer to the 76-year-old Trump and his controversial political career.

It’s time for a leader of the new generation. We have to leave behind the baggage of negativity,” she said.

Offstage, however, several candidates did not hesitate to criticize Trump when asked about his social media post on Friday in which he congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his country’s seat on the board of directors of the World Health Organization had.

I was surprised to see that. I mean, I think one, Kim

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Un is a murderous dictator, DeSantis said, when a reporter asked him about the post.

Pence said in an interview with Fox News on Saturday: Look, whether it’s my former running mate or anyone else, no one should be praising the dictator in North Korea.

In their speeches, the GOP candidates touched on similar conservative themes: criticism of the president

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Biden promises tough policies on China and the US-Mexico border and restrictions on abortion and gender-affirming policies.

The event had the feel of a major political fair, with about 1,000 people gathered to listen to the presidential prospects speak for bales of hay in a building on the fairgrounds. Many of the campaigns set tables full of stickers, T-shirts and can coolers.

Rows of dozens of shiny Harleys

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Davidson motorcycles, in all colors, were neatly parked in the parking lot outside, along with campaign buses for Ramaswamy and the DeSantis super PAC. Near what appeared to be a mechanical bull converted into a motorcycle, surrounded by an inflatable landing area to catch thrown riders, all sponsored by political super PAC Never Back Down, which DeSantis supports.

Marie Andres of Des Moines signed a form, distributed by Never Back Down, to promise a caucus for DeSantis early next year.

Trump did a great job, but too much drama in my opinion, said the 74-year-old. She said she was committed to DeSantis because she thinks he’s the best we’d get.

Jill Villalobos, 54, bought a Haley T-shirt not for herself, but for her brother in Florida. The Altoona resident intends to support Scott, who she believes can bring the GOP and the country together. I really like his message, said Villalobos.

Victoria Ortiz had not heard much from the candidates until now and was at the event to find out more. She walked away interested in DeSantis, Haley and Scott.

I believe in the strong work ethic they promote. That’s how I was raised as a Hispanic, said the 35-year-old owner and manager of a rental home from south Des Moines. “I don’t believe in giveaways. You have to work for it.

She said she didn’t like Trump.

His personality, pretty much, and the things he says are not things I want my kids to hear from a president, she said.

Ernst, along with Gov. Kim Reynolds, is one of the most sought-after Republican officials in the early stages of the Iowa caucuses.

The senator pledged to remain neutral and unsupportive during the caucus campaign.

___Price reported from New York. Associated Press writer Jill Colvin in New York contributed to this report.