Trump, DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and other GOP hopefuls tailgate at Cy-Hawk football game

AMES — Cyclone and Hawkeye fans may have stumbled upon a presidential candidate or two as they tailgated the Cy-Hawk football game here Saturday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson all made appearances in the parking lots surrounding Jack Trice Stadium.

And, yes, former President Donald Trump was in town as well. And his popularity appears unphased, despite being the subject of four indictments.

The 2024 hopefuls shook hands and snapped photos with diehards of both the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, aiming to court support as Trump, the Republican frontrunner visited an Iowa State fraternity house and made an appearance at the game.

At the Alpha Gamma Rho frat house, a crowd of cheering students chanted "Trump! Trump! Trump!" Later, the GOP frontrunner flipped burgers over a smoking grill as staff members lined up branded Trump footballs, which Trump signed and tossed into the cheering crowd before leaving to go to Jack Trice Stadium, where he signed more autographs.

DeSantis, a Florida fan, takes in 'more civilized' Cy-Hawk rivalry

DeSantis walked into a tailgate just outside the stadium trailed by a pack of volunteers for his super PAC, Never Back Down, who chanted "we want Ron" and "make American Florida." He moved swiftly through the crowd at the tailgate, which signage indicated was put on by the Iowa State Wrestling Club, greeting supporters and kids around an hour prior to kickoff.

He joked that the annual grudge match was "probably a bit more civilized than the Florida-Georgia game down in Jacksonville, which is good." And he briefly chatted football with a tailgater who said he attended the University of Florida, who lost last weekend.

"They had a rough start to the season," DeSantis remarked as they snapped a photo.

"Yeah, they need a new offensive coordinator," the man replied, to which the governor didn't respond.

Several attendees at the tailgate who spoke to the Register said they hadn't been aware DeSantis would be coming until a crowd started to form, but said they were glad to stick around and see him.

Hannah Wieland, an Iowa State fan from Des Moines who attended the tailgate DeSantis appeared at, said the Florida governor was among the candidates she liked in the field, as well as Ramaswamy.

Casey Ladd, another ISU fan from Greenfield, liked DeSantis too — but seemed doubtful any of them could usurp the candidate tossing footballs and flipping burgers a few blocks away.

"I'll tell you this right now and here, until one of the other Republicans pulls away and grabs it, does it really matter?" Ladd said.

Speaking to reporters outside of the tailgate, DeSantis touted the progress of his campaign in Iowa, as he frequently visits in an effort to gain on Trump. He argued that his operation has out-scaled other recent campaigns in the first caucus state.

"We're going to keep marshaling support," DeSantis said. "But what we've been able to do at this point is more than what recent Iowa caucusgoers have done, by far. I mean, it's not even close."

He departed the tailgate to enter Jack Trice Stadium and watch the game with Gov. Kim Reynolds, sitting among fans including Carson King. Trump joined Republican donor Gary Kirke in a private suite for the game.

Burgum, Hutchinson and Ramaswamy mingle at tailgates

Burgum and Hutchinson, who have struggled to make strides in polling after getting on the first debate stage, made several stops, including mingling with U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst at a tailgate around noon. Hutchinson quipped that he was rooting for "the underdog" in the game.

"People say I'm an underdog in this campaign so I'm pulling for the underdog," he told the Register. (Iowa State entered the game as 3.5-point underdogs.)

Hutchinson remarked in an interview that "people didn't think I was good on the first debate stage," but said he had been proud to be there, in large part due to Iowa donors. But he acknowledged the need for a bump in polling to make the stage at the second debate.

Burgum, who rolled in on a scooter after tearing his Achilles playing basketball last month, attended the same tailgate as Hutchinson — a tent sponsored by the Bastion Institute and Veterans on Duty. Earlier that day, he spoke at a separate tailgate in Nevada put on by the Story County GOP.

Ramaswamy, who continues to frequent Iowa as he aims to ride momentum from a notable debate night performance, was scheduled to attend a tailgate hosted by Summit Agriculture Group.

Summit's founder Bruce Rastetter, an influential entrepreneur and Republican donor, also hosted several presidential candidates, including Ramaswamy, at a private event last month.

Chief Politics Reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel contributed to this story.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: DeSantis, Ramaswamy and Trump court Iowa support at Cy-Hawk game