2024 GOP presidential hopefuls flock to Republican Jewish Coalition event.
Trump Holds Commanding Lead in Republican Nomination Race
Less than four months before the first rounds of Republican nomination voting begins with the Jan. 15, 2024, Iowa caucuses, former President Donald Trump holds a commanding lead over GOP rivals. Trump is trying to become only the second president to earn a return White House stay, along with Grover Cleveland’s 1892 victory after four years as a private citizen.
Various polls show Trump ahead by 20-30 points or more over rivals like Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Also vying for the right to run against President Joe Biden in November 2024 are former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who was the Trump administration’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for nearly two years, and ex-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Plus, former Vice President Mike Pence, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).
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Here are upcoming events where one or more candidates will attend and/or speak, along with events to which presidential candidates are invited.
- Sept. 20 (Wednesday)
- Former President Donald Trump campaign rally
- Grand River Center
- 500 Bell Street
- Dubuque, IA 52001
- 3 p.m. CST
- Sept. 21 (Thursday)
- Pause the World for Peace
- Times Square
- New York City, NY 10036
- Sept. 25 (Monday)
- Former President Donald Trump campaign rally
- Sportsman Boats
- 113 Sportsman Way
- Summerville, SC 29483
- 3 p.m. EST
Per the campaign of Marianne Williamson, an extreme long shot for the Democratic nomination against President Joe Biden, the event is part of the United Nations International Day of Peace. “Both in-person and global virtual audiences will experience the first ever 100% solar-powered concert in Times Square for peace and ecology.” The concert “will accompany virtual messages from legacy peacekeepers like Ringo Starr, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Sir Paul McCartney, Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, Joe Dispenza, Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick, and Shakira.”
- Oct. 13-14 (Friday-Saturday)
- Iowa Federation of Republican Women Biennial Convention
- Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel
- 1800 50th St., West Des Moines, IA 50266
- Friday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.-Saturday, Oct. 14, 4:30 p.m. CDT.
- Invited speakers: “All Presidential Candidates,” per event organizers.
- October 27-29 (Friday-Sunday)
- The Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Summit
- The Venetian Resort
- 3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89120
- Starting on Friday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. PDT
- Featured speakers: Christie, DeSantis, Haley, Pence, Ramaswamy, and Scott.
The Las Vegas Strip event gives 2024 Republican hopefuls a chance to meet Nevada voters, in an early caucus state, and schmooze with potential campaign donors. Candidates will likely take to task the Biden administration over its Israel policies, including pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on efforts in his country — the Middle East’s only democracy — to change the balance of power between its judiciary and elected officials.
“It is important that we stand with Israel and send a clear message to the sinister forces of the radical Left who seek to sow strife with our allies,” Scott said in announcing his speaking role at the RJC event, on Saturday, Oct. 28.
Republicans seeking their party’s 2024 nomination will have plenty of fodder, too, in renewing calls for the Biden administration to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority, specifically after a recent speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at his Fatah party’s Revolutionary Council. Abbas, in the 18th year heading the PA of what was supposed to be a four-year term, repeated a number of antisemitic canards he has made over the years.
Those included unfounded claims about the origins of Ashkenazi Jews and that Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler had Jews slaughtered because of their “social role” as moneylenders, not because of enmity toward Judaism. Abbas, 87, also outlined the baseless theory that Ashkenazi Jews are not descended from ancient Israelites but an ancient Turkish people known as the Khazars, who, according to a discredited theory, converted to Judaism en masse.
“The truth that we should clarify to the world is that European Jews are not Semites,” Abbas said, according to a translation of his remarks by the Middle East Media Research Institute. “They have nothing to do with Semitism.”
U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah E. Lipstadt criticized the remarks of Abbas.
“I am appalled by President Abbas’ hateful, antisemitic remarks at a recent Fatah meeting. The speech maligned the Jewish people, distorted the Holocaust, and misrepresented the tragic exodus of Jews from Arab countries. I condemn these statements and urge an immediate apology,” Lipstadt posted on X.
But the Trump administration’s ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, said in response the Abbas statements should be no surprise.
“Unfortunately, he has said this many times before. No point in demanding an apology — he really believes this! Here’s what might work: stop giving him hundreds of millions of dollars and stop treating him as a legitimate leader of his people. It may not bring peace but at least it brings dignity,” Friedman posted on X.
How does Trump’s lead in the Republican nomination race compare to his GOP rivals?
Trump holds a commanding lead in the Republican nomination race less than four months before the first round of voting begins. With the Jan. 15, 2024 Iowa caucuses on the horizon, Trump is aiming to become the second president to earn a return White House stay, following Grover Cleveland’s victory in 1892.
Various polls indicate that Trump is ahead by 20-30 points or more compared to his GOP rivals such as Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Other contenders for the Republican nomination include former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, ex-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who is also vying for the right to run against President Joe Biden in November 2024.
In terms of upcoming events, there are several opportunities for the candidates to attend or speak. On September 20, there will be a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at the Grand River Center in Dubuque, IA. The next day, the “Pause the World for Peace” event will take place in Times Square, New York City, as part of the United Nations International Day of Peace. Furthermore, on September 25, another campaign rally for Trump will be held at Sportsman Boats in Summerville, SC.
Moving forward, the Iowa Federation of Republican Women Biennial Convention will take place on October 13-14 at the Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel. All presidential candidates have been invited to speak at this event. Another significant gathering is The Republican Jewish Coalition’s Annual Leadership Summit from October 27-29 at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, NV. Speakers for this summit include Christie, DeSantis, Haley, Pence, Ramaswamy, and Scott. Besides providing an opportunity to meet Nevada voters, this event allows candidates to engage with potential campaign donors and discuss the Biden administration’s Israel policies.
Republicans seeking the party’s 2024 nomination have already started renewing calls for the Biden administration to address concerns regarding Israel’s judiciary and elected officials. Tim Scott emphasized the importance of standing with Israel and sending a clear message to the radical Left.
As the Republican nomination race intensifies, candidates will continue to campaign, attend events, and present their agendas to gain the support needed to secure the party’s nomination. With Trump holding a commanding lead, his rivals will need to strategize and work hard to bridge the gap and challenge his dominance.
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