Indictment ignored, Trump barely a mention, as GOP candidates pitch Iowa voters to challenge him

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Despite the new federal indictment against him, the issue was completely sidestepped by the Republican presidential candidates in Iowa on Sunday, who instead attempted to position themselves as alternatives to Donald Trump.

In a two-hour event, seven Republican hopefuls took to the stage before around 800 party activists in the leading caucus state, speaking at a fundraising barbecue hosted by Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson at a Cedar Rapids racetrack.

During their appeals to challenge Trump for the 2024 nomination, the candidates acted as if the indictment against him, on charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election, didn’t even exist. This was also the case with a candidate who previously suggested Trump should withdraw from the race.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a prominent critic of Trump, only broached the topic of the Republican displeasure with the Department of Justice, which many conservatives feel has shown bias in its investigation of Trump. Charges against the former president, including improperly retaining sensitive documents at his Florida residence and hindering their retrieval, were also glossed over.

On Sunday, Hutchinson solely advocated for reformation of the Department of Justice, and his assurance of appointing a new attorney general to enforce fair rule of law was met with applause.

Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cautioned against repeating Trump’s unfounded assertions about the 2020 election, simply stated, “The time for excuses is over.”

Despite the indictment, Trump continues to enjoy strong popularity among the Iowa Republican caucus electorate. According to a recent New York Times/Siena College poll, he leads far ahead of his nearest rival, with others trailing significantly. The poll also hinted that Trump’s standing in Iowa might be somewhat weaker compared to his national position.

Throughout the campaign’s initial phase, GOP strategists have cautioned against directly attacking Trump, noting that such a move might anger his supporters, who view the charges against him as political victimization.

Among those who attended the event, the sentiment was to look beyond Trump’s legal issues. The majority of the candidates, including DeSantis, Hutchinson, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, conservative radio host Larry Elder, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, made no mention of Trump in their speeches.

Only two candidates, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, referred to Trump by name. Haley’s mention was in the context of an anecdote, while Johnson, who showed little support in the aforementioned poll, remarked on Trump’s campaign spending and reiterated a previous pledge to pardon Trump for an earlier indictment in New York related to falsified payment documents to a porn star.

Johnson expressed his concern, saying, “I think that it’s unfair that we start picking on our candidates and letting the Democrats decide who should be running,” reflecting the overall reticence of the candidates to engage with Trump’s legal troubles.

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