Former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley announced on Wednesday that she’s participating in Sen. Joni Ernst’s (R-Iowa) annual Roast and Ride event in Iowa.
“As a military family, we know how important it is to take care of our veterans on and off the battlefield,” Haley tweeted, adding “We’re looking forward to joining @JoniErnst in Des Moines for her annual Roast and Ride benefiting Iowa’s Freedom Foundation!”
The Roast and Ride event is scheduled for June 3 and will take place at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Iowa, of course, is a crucial early presidential primary state that will play a critical role in determining who wins the Republican nomination for president.
Every potential Republican challenger in the primary has been invited to the event, according to NBC News, but Haley is the first to say she’ll be attending.
“They need to come. People will judge,” Ernst told NBC. “They’ll see ‘ok here’s this great group of candidates, they are out there, they are ready to share their message with Iowans, and they’re not afraid of being in a venue with other candidates’.”
Ernst has not made an endorsement in the presumptive GOP presidential primary, but candidates have been making trips to states like Iowa and New Hampshire ahead of the primaries and presidential debates.
The development comes as former President Trump has been leading in recent polling against the rest of the Republican field, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) — who has not yet fully announced a White House bid but is widely expected to — generally placing in second.