The GOP is holding a crowded primary, with 13 candidates currently declared.
Only three candidates are commanding more than 5 percent of the vote in FiveThirtyEight’s poll aggregate… and all three did different things to celebrate the birth of our nation.
Former Vice President Mike Pence marched in a parade near Urbandale, Iowa, near the site of the GOP’s first presidential caucus.
Pence, joined by his wife Karen, seemed to polarize the crowd, according to the Des Moines Register. He reportedly received both some jeers, “My body, my choice!”
The former vice president was marching uphill for much of the parade. Fittingly, he’s sitting at 6.7 percent in FiveThirtyEight’s most recent aggregate of the primary polls.
What an amazing and patriotic morning in @CityofUrbandale, IA! @KarenPence and I had the best time walking in the Urbandale 4th of July Celebration Parade as we celebrate Freedom today and every day! 🇺🇸#IndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/uIujK7C0m1
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) July 4, 2023
More candidates went to New Hampshire than anywhere else, presumably in order to campaign in the GOP’s first presidential primary.
For example, Florida Gov. DeSantis marched in various parades across New Hampshire. He and his wife reportedly marched in Amherst, Wolfeboro, and Merrimack. They maintained good spirits even when caught in the rain!
DeSantis mingled with voters but seemed to command little media attention. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, a longshot candidate, gave an interview to Fox News Digital from New Hampshire, but DeSantis did not.
DeSantis and Scott weren’t the only ones in New Hampshire. They were joined by businessman Perry Johnson, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Take a look —
It literally rained on his parade. Ron DeSantis, his wife Casey and daughter Madison, get soaked marching in New Hampshire parade. pic.twitter.com/TSMZH8XCJF
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) July 4, 2023
Former President Donald Trump is leading the poll aggregate, but he wasn’t spotted in public on the Fourth.
According to the Mail, he spent the holiday at his golf club in New Jersey. However, he had spoken in New Hampshire less than a week before, and he campaigned in South Carolina over the weekend.
Trump took to social media instead. “HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY,” he posted to Truth Social, along with a video of his South Carolina rally.
By contrast, a top Democrat — Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri — used the holiday as an excuse to demand reparations.
“The Declaration of Independence was written by enslavers and didn’t recognize Black people as human,” she said. “Today is a great day to demand Reparations Now.”
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden gave two speeches from the White House, one addressed to educators and one addressed to military families.
Take a look —
Join the First Lady and me as we celebrate Independence Day with active-duty and National Guard military families. https://t.co/MARc5ffAUI
— President Biden (@POTUS) July 4, 2023
The Declaration of Independence was written by enslavers and didn’t recognize Black people as human.
Today is a great day to demand Reparations Now ✊🏾
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) July 4, 2023