People cheer as former President Donald Trump exits after speaking during a rally at the Steer 27 Stein bar at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 12, 2023.Brandon Bell—Getty Images
A host of presidential candidates visited the Iowa State Fair over the weekend to flip pork chops, view a life-size cow sculpted out of butter, and mingle with voters ahead of the state's first-in-the-nation nominating caucuses in January.
Campaigning at the Iowa State Fair has been one of the nation’s most famous political traditions since 1972, when the state began holding the first presidential nominating contests in the country. At the fair, which attracts about a million people over 10 days, Trump posed for selfies, passed out Make America Great Again hats, and gave a speech in which he repeated false claims about the 2020 election. DeSantis toured the fairgrounds with his family and flipped pork chops with Iowa's governor, though his remarks were interrupted by protesters blowing loud whistles and clanging cowbells. Longer-shot candidates also tried to leave an impression with voters, including entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who performed a rap of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself."
Here are some of the best photos from the Iowa State Fair.
Fairgoers ride the Sky Glider past a wind turbine during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, on Aug. 10.Al Drago—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesA judge evaluates contestants' livestock during a competition inside the Sheep Barn on Aug. 11.Brandon Bell—Getty ImagesFlorida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis shakes hands with supporters at the conclusion of one of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds' "Fair-Side Chats" on Aug. 12.Chip Somodevilla—Getty ImagesTinsel and tennis shoes hang off the side of a float in the Iowa State Fair Kick-Off Parade along East Grand Avenue on Aug. 9.Chip Somodevilla—Getty ImagesRepublican presidential candidate former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence pose for selfies with supporters on Aug. 10.Chip Somodevilla—Getty ImagesSupporters cheer as Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives for a rally at the Steer N' Stein bar at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12.Brandon Bell—Getty ImagesFairgoers stop to view the butter sculptures, the cow, Caitlin Clark, Kurt Warner and Jack Trice, on the first day of the Iowa State Fair, on Aug. 10.Kelsey Kremer—The Register/ReutersFive-year-old Jack Sawyer, of Dillon, Iowa, lays on the back of a cow in the cattle barn on Aug. 9.Charlie Neibergall—APDemocratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks during The Des Moines Register Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair, on Aug. 12.Jeff Roberson—APPeople try to catch a glimpse of former President Donald Trump at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12.Stefani Reynolds—AFP/Getty ImagesFormer South Carolina Governor and Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks with a young fairgoer on Aug. 12.Chip Somodevilla—Getty ImagesChildren lay on the ground while listening to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis participate in a "Fair-Side Chat" on Aug. 12.Chip Somodevilla—Getty ImagesSecret Service scans workers ahead of an appearance by former President Donald Trump at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 12.Stefani Reynolds—AFP/Getty ImagesA supporter looks at a selfie she took with biotech millionaire and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Aug. 12.Chip Somodevilla—Getty ImagesTwo men make their way across the fairgrounds during the opening day of the Iowa State Fair, on Aug. 10.Charlie Neibergall—APRepublican presidential candidate former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to fairgoers on Aug. 10.Charlie Neibergall—APCobs of corn are judged in the agriculture building on Aug. 10.Al Drago—Bloomberg/Getty ImagesFormer President Donald Trump tosses a hat in the air while supporters cheer for him on Aug. 12.Demetrius Freeman—The Washington Post/Getty ImagesTrump campaign workers hold Trump flags for a photo opportunity with Kari Lake, former Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona, at the cattle barn on Aug. 11.Evelyn Hockstein—ReutersA contestant competes in the Western Open Horse show on Aug. 13.Brandon Bell—Getty Images
