Republican presidential candidate former Texas Congressman Will Hurd speaks to guests at the Republican Party of Iowa 2023 Lincoln Dinner on July 28, 2023. Thirteen Republican presidential candidates were scheduled to speak at the event. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
You can see why most GOP presidential candidates are backing former President Trump in his legal fights, or taking a pass:
- Former congressman Will Hurd of Texas, who announced his candidacy last month, said last night in Des Moines at one of the biggest "cattle call" events so far: "Donald Trump is running to stay out of prison."
Boos erupted from the 1,200+ diehards at the Iowa Republican Party's Lincoln Dinner.
- "Listen, I know the truth is hard," replied Hurd, a former CIA agent.
Speaking on the same stage an hour later, Trump said of his indictments: "If I weren't running, I would have nobody coming after me. Or if I was losing by a lot, I would have nobody coming after me."
- It's the first time Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the same campaign event in Iowa. Trump usually shuns multi-candidate events. But you don't mess around with Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Trump referred repeatedly to the governor as "Ron DeSanctus" (the nickname he gave him as a play on "sanctimonious"): "I wouldn’t take a chance on that one."
- DeSantis didn't mention Trump by name.