CEDAR RAPIDS — Republican Presidential hopefuls Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis stopped in Cedar Rapids on Saturday for two separate campaign events as candidates barnstorm the state in the countdown to the Iowa Caucuses on Jan. 15. 

DeSantis’ stop at a packed diner and Ramaswamy’s address to a packed conference center are just two of the dozens of well-attended events this last week as anticipation swells for the Iowa Caucuses. 

DeSantis and Ramaswamy have banked on the caucuses to boost their primary campaigns to be the next Republican nominee for President. 

DeSantis and Ramaswamy have based most of their campaign staff in Iowa and both have completed a 99-county-tour of Iowa, dubbed the “full Grassley,” at least once — with Ramaswamy having completed a double Grassley. The “full Grassley” references Iowa’s longest-serving U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who visits all 99 of Iowa’s counties each year. 

However, DeSantis polls ahead of Ramaswamy. DeSantis polled at 19 percent and Ramaswamy at 5 percent among likely caucusgoers in the December edition of the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll. 

Both candidates said they could “beat the polls” and argue their campaign stop attendance is evidence enough. Both spoke to packed rooms of over 100 attendees. 

Nikki Haley spoke in North Liberty on Saturday as well. 

Ramaswamy says he would pardon Jan. 6 rioters on three year anniversary

During his Cedar Rapids campaign stop at the Hilton Garden Inn in Cedar Rapids, Ramaswamy said he would pardon all Jan. 6 rioters — exactly three years after the riot at the U.S. capitol shook the country. 

“To tell you that I will pardon — on a day like today especially I will say it firmly — every peaceful protester on January 6 because that was the right thing to do for this country,” said Ramaswamy, which drew applause and cheers from the crowd. 

Von and Julie Kennedy, of Marion, Iowa, were two of over 100 attendees at Ramaswamy’s late-night Cedar Rapids event and spent their afternoon and evening attending caucus events in Cedar Rapids to get to know the candidates better and help finalize their choice for who to support on caucus night. 

“It’s important to be informed on what the candidate’s platform is,” Von Kennedy said. His wife Julie Kennedy added, “Oftentimes, the media slants what the candidate says or believes according to however they want to slant it. So we thought we’d come and hear it from the horse’s mouth.” 

The couple attended both DeSantis’ and Ramaswamy’s campaign events on Saturday and said they are dead set on Ramaswamy after seeing both speak.

“He speaks our language,” Von Kennedy said. 

DeSantis Bashes Haley for New Hampshire townhall gaffe 

DeSantis rebuked Nikki Haley for her gaffe at a New Hampshire town hall earlier this week where she said New Hampshire voters would “correct” the Iowa caucus results. 

“I think it’s important that Iowans get to be first, and just so you know I don’t think any other state needs to correct your judgment,” DeSantis said to a packed house at Tommy’s Restaurant, a diner in eastern Cedar Rapids, on Saturday afternoon. 

The quaint diner was packed with DeSantis’ supporters eager to meet the Governor of Florida. Dozens of supporters lined the sidewalks outside waiting to greet DeSantis and his team as they stepped off the bus. 

Among over 100 supporters and eager attendees were Larry and Jan McMann, of Cedar Rapids, who came to see DeSantis on Saturday. The couple plans to support DeSantis in the Iowa Caucuses because of his record of results.

“He gets things done. He’s proven that he’s gotten things done in Florida,” Jan McMann said. 

Larry McMann said they are both tired of the constant fighting in American politics, and he wants a congress that is working for the people and he thinks Ron DeSantis can help usher that in. 

“We’re tired of listening to the fighting between everybody… and I think he is a straight honest guy that works for the people,” Larry McMann said. 

With a packed house at his Cedar Rapids event, Larry McMann is hopeful that his support at the event, and the enthusiasm, will materialize for DeSantis on caucus night. 

“The caucuses are going to be very big for DeSantis,” Larry McMann said. “I See a lot of [polling] percentages changing on caucus night. Hopefully for the better.” 

DeSantis polled at 19 percent among likely caucusgoers in the December edition of the Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, 32 points behind GOP frontrunner Former President Donald Trump.