Donald Trump has advised supporters at an influential marketing campaign occasion in Iowa he’s the one Republican candidate who can beat President Joe Biden.

The former president took to the stage on the Lincoln Day Dinner together with his principal rival Ron DeSantis and a number of other different candidates within the race to grow to be the social gathering’s nominee in 2024.

While his rivals broadly refused to discuss Mr Trump‘s ongoing authorized issues, the previous president made one veiled reference, saying: “If I weren’t running, I would have nobody coming after me.”

He additionally insisted the identical can be true if he have been trailing within the polls.

The different Republican candidates principally reserved their sharpest criticism for Mr Biden and a Democratic social gathering they argued had misplaced contact with mainstream America.

“The time for excuses is over. We must get the job done,” Mr DeSantis advised round 1,200 Republican social gathering members and activists.

“I will get the job done,” he mentioned.

The Florida governor additionally repeated his promise to halt the “weaponisation” of the Justice Department, alluding to Mr Trump’s indictments.

Mr Trump, who has a cushty lead within the polls, was closely essential of his rivals. He repeatedly branded Mr DeSantis “DeSanctus” and mentioned: “I wouldn’t take a chance on that one.”

As he opened a marketing campaign workplace outdoors Iowa’s capital Des Moines earlier than the dinner, Mr Trump mentioned: “I understand the other candidates are falling very flat… it’s like death.”

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Mr Trump often avoids attending occasions involving different candidates, questioning why he would share a stage with rivals who’re trailing him in polls.

While most Republican candidates refused to criticise him, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchison mentioned, “as a party, we need a new direction for America and for the GOP”, drawing solely muted response from the gang.

Will Hurd, a former Texas congressman, confronted loud boos when he mentioned: “The reason Donald Trump lost the election in 2020 is he failed to grow the GOP brand.

“Donald Trump is just not working for president to make America nice once more… Donald Trump is working to remain out of jail.”

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Iowa’s caucus, one of many first contests within the race for the Republican nomination, is about to happen in January 2024.

Trump is dealing with several criminal and civil investigations and has been indicted twice.

On Friday, federal paperwork mentioned he confronted new charges over categorized paperwork he allegedly took from the White House, together with deleting CCTV footage of his employees shifting bins at his Florida residence.

A trial in that case has been set to start out on 20 May 2024 – simply weeks earlier than the Republican and Democratic nationwide conventions the place every social gathering’s nominees are set to be introduced.