WHIT? >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. WE MOVE TO THE RACE FOR THE WE MOVE TO THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. WHITE HOUSE. TOP GOP HOPEFULS WITH THE TOP GOP HOPEFULS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FORMER PRESIDENT EXCEPTION OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, DESCENDING ON IOWA AS THE TRUMP, DESCENDING ON IOWA AS THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL FIELD REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL FIELD GROWS EVEN WIDER. GROWS EVEN WIDER. RACHEL SCOTT JOINING US FROM DES RACHEL SCOTT JOINING US FROM DES MOINES, SPEAKING WITH THE MOINES, SPEAKING WITH THE CANDIDATES. CANDIDATES. RACHEL, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. RACHEL, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. >> REPORTER: HEY, WHIT. >> REPORTER: HEY, WHIT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. YES, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST YES, THIS WAS THE BIGGEST REPUBLICAN PRIMARY EVENT SO FAR. REPUBLICAN PRIMARY EVENT SO FAR. THE FIRST TIME SO MANY OF THESE THE FIRST TIME SO MANY OF THESE REPUBLICAN HOPEFULS ALL SHARED REPUBLICAN HOPEFULS ALL SHARED ONE STAGE DIRECTLY MAKING THEIR ONE STAGE DIRECTLY MAKING THEIR PITCH TO VOTERS. PITCH TO VOTERS. THIS MORNING THE 2024 CAMPAIGN THIS MORNING THE 2024 CAMPAIGN IS IN FULL SWING. IS IN FULL SWING. ♪ ♪ NEARLY THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN NEARLY THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN FIELD FLOODING IOWA, ALL ON ONE FIELD FLOODING IOWA, ALL ON ONE STAGE. STAGE. >> I'M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT >> I'M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT BECAUSE I THINK IF WE CHOOSE BECAUSE I THINK IF WE CHOOSE ANOTHER PATH, WE CAN RESTORE ANOTHER PATH, WE CAN RESTORE AMERICAN GREATNESS. AMERICAN GREATNESS. >> WE HAVE A BATTLE TO FIGHT IN >> WE HAVE A BATTLE TO FIGHT IN 2024. 2024. LET ME FIGHT THAT GOOD FIGHT FOR LET ME FIGHT THAT GOOD FIGHT FOR YOU. YOU. >> REPORTER: THE EVENT KICKING >> REPORTER: THE EVENT KICKING OFF WITH HUNDREDS OF IOWANS OFF WITH HUNDREDS OF IOWANS RIDING TO THE FAIR GROUNDS. RIDING TO THE FAIR GROUNDS. FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE HOPPING ON HIS OWN MOTORCYCLE HOPPING ON HIS OWN MOTORCYCLE AND TEASING A PRESIDENTIAL AND TEASING A PRESIDENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK. ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK. >> WE THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE NO >> WE THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE NO BETTER PLACE TO ANNOUNCE OUR BETTER PLACE TO ANNOUNCE OUR DECISION THAN HERE IN THE DECISION THAN HERE IN THE HAWKEYE STATE, THE PLAYS SUCH AN HAWKEYE STATE, THE PLAYS SUCH AN IMPORTANT AND OUTSIZED ROLE IN IMPORTANT AND OUTSIZED ROLE IN HELPING SHAPE OUR NATION'S HELPING SHAPE OUR NATION'S LEADERSHIP. LEADERSHIP. >> REPORTER: THE GOP FIELD ONLY >> REPORTER: THE GOP FIELD ONLY GROWING LARGER. GROWING LARGER. BUT NOTABLY ABSENT THE FRONT BUT NOTABLY ABSENT THE FRONT RUNNER, FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. RUNNER, FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> DO YOU KNOW WHERE DONALD >> DO YOU KNOW WHERE DONALD TRUMP IS? TRUMP IS? >> I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE. >> I'M JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE. I THINK FOLKS HERE ARE GREAT. I THINK FOLKS HERE ARE GREAT. >> REPORTER: EVEN WITHOUT >> REPORTER: EVEN WITHOUT MENTIONING TRUMP BY NAME, SOME MENTIONING TRUMP BY NAME, SOME CANDIDATES MAKING IT CLEAR IT'S CANDIDATES MAKING IT CLEAR IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE. TIME FOR A CHANGE. >> I THINK THE PARTY NEEDS A NEW >> I THINK THE PARTY NEEDS A NEW GENERATIONAL LEADER. GENERATIONAL LEADER. WE'VE LOST THE LAST SEVEN OUT OF WE'VE LOST THE LAST SEVEN OUT OF EIGHT POPULAR VOTES FOR EIGHT POPULAR VOTES FOR PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT. THAT'S NOTHING WE SHOULD BE THAT'S NOTHING WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF. PROUD OF. >> REPORTER: SOME VOTERS WE >> REPORTER: SOME VOTERS WE SPOKE TO WERE UNDECIDED. SPOKE TO WERE UNDECIDED. OTHERS WERE STRONG. OTHERS WERE STRONG. >> WE HAVE A STRONG FIELD. >> WE HAVE A STRONG FIELD. I'M LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS. I'M LOOKING AT ALL THE OPTIONS. >> I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO >> I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE TRUMP FOR FOUR MORE YEARS. HAVE TRUMP FOR FOUR MORE YEARS. >> REPORTER: THOSE UNDECIDED >> REPORTER: THOSE UNDECIDED VOTERS WILL SOON HAVE MORE VOTERS WILL SOON HAVE MORE OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM. OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM. AS HE HINTED, FORMER VICE AS HE HINTED, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE IS EXPECTED PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE HIS BID FOR THE TO ANNOUNCE HIS BID FOR THE WHITE HOUSE RIGHT HERE IN IOWA WHITE HOUSE RIGHT HERE IN IOWA WEDNESDAY. WEDNESDAY. FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRIS FORMER NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE ALSO EXPECTED TO ENTER CHRISTIE ALSO EXPECTED TO ENTER THE RACE THIS WEEK. THE RACE THIS WEEK. >> ALL HEATING UP. >> ALL HEATING UP. RACHEL SCOTT, THANK YOU VERY RACHEL SCOTT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MUCH. LET'S BRING IN MARTHA RADDATZ LET'S BRING IN MARTHA RADDATZ WHO WILL BE HOSTING THIS WEEK WHO WILL BE HOSTING THIS WEEK LATER THIS MORNING. LATER THIS MORNING. GREAT TO HAVE YOU. GREAT TO HAVE YOU. LET'S START WITH THE GOP LET'S START WITH THE GOP HOPEFULS IN IOWA. HOPEFULS IN IOWA. YOU HAVE RAMASWANY ON THE SHOW YOU HAVE RAMASWANY ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK. THIS WEEK. THE CHALLENGE FOR ALL THESE THE CHALLENGE FOR ALL THESE CANDIDATES IS HOW DO THEY PLAN CANDIDATES IS HOW DO THEY PLAN TO STAND OUT IN A CROWDED FIELD TO STAND OUT IN A CROWDED FIELD WITH DONALD TRUMP AT THE TOP? WITH DONALD TRUMP AT THE TOP? >> EXACTLY, WHIT. >> EXACTLY, WHIT. THEY WANT TO STAND OUT IN THAT THEY WANT TO STAND OUT IN THAT CROWDED FIELD, BUT THEY ALL DO CROWDED FIELD, BUT THEY ALL DO NOT WANT TO ALIENATE TRUMP NOT WANT TO ALIENATE TRUMP VOTERS. VOTERS. WITH MANY IN THE RACE IT'S HARD WITH MANY IN THE RACE IT'S HARD TO DISTINGUISH YOURSELF. TO DISTINGUISH YOURSELF. I'LL TELL YOU, RAMASWAMY SAID HE I'LL TELL YOU, RAMASWAMY SAID HE WILL NOT GIVE ONE WILL NOT GIVE ONE MORE DOLLAR TO UKRAINE. MORE DOLLAR TO UKRAINE. THAT IS PRETTY SEVERE FOR THAT IS PRETTY SEVERE FOR SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT FOREIGN SOMEONE TO TALK ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY. POLICY. SAYING HE WOULD CUT OFF FURTHER SAYING HE WOULD CUT OFF FURTHER MILITARY AID, ANY AID TO MILITARY AID, ANY AID TO UKRAINE. UKRAINE. HE SAID IT JUST DOESN'T REALLY HE SAID IT JUST DOESN'T REALLY MATTER AND IT IS NOT A U.S. MATTER AND IT IS NOT A U.S. NATIONAL INTEREST AT THIS POINT. NATIONAL INTEREST AT THIS POINT. WE'RE GOING TO PRESS HIM ON WE'RE GOING TO PRESS HIM ON THAT. THAT. >> ALL OF THESE CANDIDATES >> ALL OF THESE CANDIDATES TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE TRYING TO DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES. THEMSELVES. WHILE WE HAVE YOU, MARTHA, LIKE WHILE WE HAVE YOU, MARTHA, LIKE TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT TO ASK YOU ABOUT THAT CLOSE CALL AT SEA, THE NEAR CLOSE CALL AT SEA, THE NEAR MISS, WITH THE SAEZ WAR SHIP. MISS, WITH THE SAEZ WAR SHIP. WE ALSO NOTED RECENT INCIDENT WE ALSO NOTED RECENT INCIDENT WITH A FIGHTER JET. WITH A FIGHTER JET. HOW IS THE U.S. LIKELY TO HOW IS THE U.S. LIKELY TO RESPOND TO THIS TYPE OF RESPOND TO THIS TYPE OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR? AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR? >> WELL, I THINK THEY WILL >> WELL, I THINK THEY WILL CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THE TAIWAN STRAIT. TAIWAN STRAIT. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO SAIL IN THEY WILL CONTINUE TO SAIL IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, FLY OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA, FLY OVER THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. IN INTERNATIONAL AIR SPACE, IN IN INTERNATIONAL AIR SPACE, IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS. INTERNATIONAL WATERS. THIS WAS A REALLY DANGEROUS THIS WAS A REALLY DANGEROUS TIME. TIME. THERE ARE MISCALCULATIONS. THERE ARE MISCALCULATIONS. I MEAN, THAT SHIP BARELY MISSED I MEAN, THAT SHIP BARELY MISSED THAT U.S. SHIP. THAT U.S. SHIP. THOSE SHIPS CANNOT TURN ON A THOSE SHIPS CANNOT TURN ON A DIME. DIME. I HAVE BEEN ON THOSE DESTROYERS. I HAVE BEEN ON THOSE DESTROYERS. I HAVE BEEN ON GUIDED MISSILE I HAVE BEEN ON GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS. DESTROYERS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU COME IT IS VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU COME THAT CLOSE TO A U.S. SHIP AND OF THAT CLOSE TO A U.S. SHIP AND OF COURSE SECRETARY AUSTIN SAYING COURSE SECRETARY AUSTIN SAYING THE U.S. WON'T FLINCH. THE U.S. WON'T FLINCH. WHAT EXACTLY THAT MEANS WE DON'T WHAT EXACTLY THAT MEANS WE DON'T KNOW. KNOW. >> MARTHA RADDATZ, THANK YOU >> MARTHA RADDATZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AS ALL. VERY MUCH, AS ALL. WE APPRECIATE IT. WE APPRECIATE IT. TUNE INTO THIS WEEK LATER TODAY. TUNE INTO THIS WEEK LATER TODAY. MARTHA HAS THAT EXCLUSIVE MARTHA HAS THAT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH REPUBLICAN INTERVIEW WITH REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE