DES MOINES, Iowa — Ron DeSantis was the top political draw at the Iowa State Fair, but only for a few hours.
Mobbed by reporters, cameras and voters, the Florida governor and 2024 Republican presidential contender traversed the sprawling fairgrounds with one of his daughters atop his shoulders and his wife at his side. He stopped for photographs and small talk before engaging in a political right of passage in Iowa: flipping pork chops.
The moment was fleeting, thanks to the arrival of former President Donald Trump, the clear front-runner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Always the showman, Mr. Trump made his entrance with his airplane buzzing low above the fairgrounds as Mr. DeSantis worked the grill alongside Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Joni Ernst. The site of Trump Force One triggered shrieks of delight and oohs and aahs. Many in the crowd sported Trump gear.
Mr. Trump breezed into the fairgrounds with a Secret Service escort and an entourage of elected leaders from Mr. DeSantis’ home state, including Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds.
The crowd watched Mr. Trump’s every action and cheered him on when he hoisted a pork chop on a stick like a trophy.
“It’s a beautiful day in Iowa,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “There’s a record crowd. They’ve never had anything even close.”
The Iowa State Fair on Saturday was the backdrop to a clash of the titans in the 2024 Republican presidential race. It also served as a reminder that Mr. Trump, one of the most famous people on the planet, plays by his own rules.
Mr. Trump was the sole Republican candidate at the fair to pass up the chance to sit down with Ms. Reynolds for a “Fair-Side Chat.”
Ahead of his visit, Mr. Trump badmouthed Ms. Reynolds for staying neutral in the contest.
Mr. Trump has massive leads in early state polls.
Mr. DeSantis, running a distant second, still has an opening. He and other candidates are trying to close the polling gap by showing they are best equipped to defeat President Biden.
The Trump and DeSantis duel overshadowed the appearances of other candidates at the fair, including former U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, the 37-year-old biotechnology millionaire who has been the biggest surprise of the race and delivered a spirited rendition of rapper Eminem’s “Lose Yourself.”
Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the long-shot Democrats vying against Mr. Biden for their party’s nomination, also addressed the crowd.
Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis have been on a crash course for months, and their visits to the fair put them in the same place at the same time.
They might meet again in less than two weeks when the Republican Party holds its first presidential debate of the 2024 race in Milwaukee. Mr. Trump has said he might skip the debate.
Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis have a lot riding on the results of the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses.
For Mr. Trump, the contest is a chance to show that he is without question the de facto leader of the Republican Party.
For Mr. DeSantis, it is a chance to show that he has what it takes to cobble together a coalition of Republican voters looking for a fresh face with a record of achievement and less legal baggage.
Indeed, Mr. Trump’s visit to the fair coincided with news reports that the district attorney in Fulton County, Georgia, could get a dozen indictments any day now against Mr. Trump and his allies for trying to overturn the 2020 election in the state.
Asked whether he tried to overturn the election, Mr. Trump said, “You know the answer.”
At the Steer N’ Stein food and beverage venue at the fair, Mr. Trump told his supporters to “stay strong.”
“We are going to win big,” he said.
Mr. Trump told reporters he would not take a plea deal in Georgia if offered. “We did nothing wrong,” he said.
Mr. DeSantis strolled through the fair on the heels of a campaign shake-up. He replaced his campaign manager and adopted a strategy that includes more interaction with the press and a deeper focus on Iowa that includes plans to visit all of the state’s 99 counties.
Mr. DeSantis started the day by sitting with Ms. Reynolds for a “Fair-Side Chat” and sharing his vision with voters.
“I’m running for president because simply managing the decline of our country a little bit better than Democrats isn’t going to cut it,” Mr. DeSantis said on stage. “We must reverse the decline of this country.”
Mr. DeSantis said he has led with “purpose and conviction” as Florida governor and plans to do the same if elected president.
“The time for excuses for Republicans is over. We must get the job done in 2024,” he said.
The scene played out as a Trump-sponsored propeller plane circled the fairgrounds pulling at “Be Likeable, Ron!” banner. Trump fans drowned out Mr. DeSantis’ entrances at the fair with “We Want Trump!” chants.
Responding to Mr. Trump’s criticism of Ms. Reynolds, Mr. DeSantis said, “I think Donald Trump’s attacks on Kim Reynolds are totally out of bounds.
“I couldn’t disagree with it anymore,” he said. “She has never done anything to him, but that is just how he operates.”
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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